The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-09

From Which It is Threat
 ened His Light and Air
 Will Be Shut Off Bought
 Them Also for Enforce
 ment of Monroe Doctrine. (By Hon. James Hamilton Lewis, Member, Senate Committee on & Foreign Relations.) ,- .,
 The purchase by the United States of the three islands from Denmark, which lie in the Caribbean Sea just South of the United States in our southern gateway is not for the pur- pose of obtaining land, buying ground, or to procure additional citizens to our country by the transfer of sov- ereignty. The United States is se- curing these islands as man secures an extra piece of ground at his back door, or front door; to prevent it's be- Ing taken by those who would shut off his light and air, or his free egress to his own property. We are purchas- Ing the islands just as a farmer pur- chases the little plot, or acreage of land adjacent to his farm, that he might prevent those opposed to his Interests from obtaining the same, and allowing their cattle to roam from it to threaten his farm, or to prevent the new patch to be so conducted as to invite vermin. pests or any other form of disease of agriculture that might extSnd to his farm to the destruction of his crops.
 We are paying twenty-five millions of rdollars for the islands, not as a reAt estate purchase. We are paying tltis sum to get control of the ob- struction between our mainland and our Panama Canal. When we pos sess the islands we prevent other countries seizing them in any hour of conflict with us, and using them as a base of attack from which we may be cut off from the uses of the Pan- anna Canal either from the Pacific to the Atlantic, or from the Atlantic to the Pacific. We prevent the uses of these Islands by any power who would nse the same as base to destroy the Canal.
 Upon several occasions we could have obtained the islands at much less price, but the Administrations in pow CT did not feel that conditions justi- fled the purchase. After the Spanish American war with the redemption of Cuba, and the Americanizationto of Por- to Rico, which becomes the nearest American possession to these Danish Islands, these islands took new life, and began to increase in value. Then Do structed, practically making route to these Islands straight from the Pacific, they took added value, as city lots or farm land does when 8 new railroad is built into community near the land. giving an outlet to depots. These are some of the reasons why the price of the property has gradually risen.
 Other nations of Europe, and of Asia, would have paid the price and certain nations. as the government is informed, would have paid a. higher price. The public can understand that European and Asiatic countries would have great uses for these Isl- ands ,and if they could have out-gen- eraled the United States in view of the events which have lately arisen in the Europeaia world. they would have done so without regard to price.
 We obtained these Islands for an- other purpose. very dear to the hearts of the American people. This is to protect and enforce the Monroe Doc Urine. This Doctrine, among other things pledges America to prevent any monarchical or kingly government of the old world from thrusting itself. through it's agencies, as opposed to a Republican form of government anywhere in the western hemisphere, particularly as between ourselves and Central and South America.
 e After the European war, terms of peace will be made. These terms will be made, between all the countries. These Islands could have been in cluded in the terms of settlement, and through the influence of Germany with Denmark, or of Great Britain with Denmark, or with France or Japan with Denmark, Denmark could have obtained certain possessions or harbors in Europe in consideration for these Islands, the Islands then to pass to that particular country receiving them in exchange to be used as a naval base, or base of fortification in the event of any conflict between itself and other countries of the world in the Atlantic seas, or to be used in the event of any conflict such coun- try might have with the United tSates of America. It must be clear to all that we could not allow the time to pass up to date of the peace nego- tiations of Europe. We must possess ourselves of these Island, which lie so near to Porto Rico, and are in the track to the Panama Canal before any European country could by any terms or negotiations possess them.
 The American citizen will under stand that the moment these Islands passed into the possession of any for eign country the United States would have to protest ,and then, if neces- sary, by force drive the foreign coun- try out of the Islands, as we forced France out of Mexico, Britain from Venezuela and Japan out of lower Cal ifornia. The citizen will understand that while we might be able to op- pose one country, which was in pos session of the Islands still if this one
 country obtained possession of the Hands through term participated in by the seven great Countries engaged in the European war, these countries and their allies would be behind and backing up the country to whom these islands had been transferred. When we began an attack upon those in possession of the Islands in order to protect the Monroe Doctrine we would @< ov,1x h oO inct ho