The sun., 1916-08-20
WHY BUY ST. THOMAS,
Facts Cited 70 Prove That We Should
Mako . Bad Bargain.

To Il EDITOR OF The suS-Sk: I
consider that there Ii excellent author
ity for the statements relative to the
Danish West India Islands In my let.
ter printed In THE SUN OF August 10.
And ! respectfully submit to my sew
eral critics the following:
In Chambers's Encyclopedia tvol.
MIL. p. ~. Ed. $3.50 II Is said Of the
island Of st. Thomas Tho climate Is
hot. dry and unhealthy yellow fever
is endemic and preys upon Europeans"
And Of course climatic conditions are
unchanged.
In Encyclopedia Britannica (vol.
NX1.. p. 200. Ed. 1850. and Vol. XXIv..
p. ~. Ed. 1910 II is said that In st.
Thomas the cultivation Of sugar cane
had been practically abandoned that
. few vegetables. a little fruit and some
guinea grass are all that II produces
that green groceries are imported from
the United States. poultry and eggs
from the n~eighboring stands that the
value OF imports in 1850 was less thar
one-half Of what 1t was In 1870: that
the merchants OF Venezuela. Porto Rico,
Santo Domingo. Hayti. &C. who used to
purchase In st. Thomas. now go to the
markets of the United States and Eu-
rope that earthquakes are not infre-
quent. although they do little damage in
comparison with cyclones which some
times sweep over the island. In the
edition Of 1911 Vol. XXlv.. p. ~. some
additional facts are given. but the fore
going statements. although toned down
a little. are not materially modified.
The Statesman's Year Book for 1918.
edited by ]. Scott keltieA Ii. D.. says
that these islands. ST. Thomas. ST.
Croix and 81. John. arc inhabited mostly
By free negroes engaged In %cultivating
sugar cane: and that the trade with
Denmark. formerly considerable. has
fallen of In recent years. Imports into
and exports from Denmark in 1918 are
said to be $3s.0o0 and sl2s.ooo re-
From all OF which the con-
is that. from a commercial
the islands are valueless to
II We are. In Difference to the
Doctrine. or for any other rea-
son. to rid the West Indies OF all alien
Tags at the rate Of 5000 an acre CSC. 1000
acres at S25. 200. oOO). the cost will ex-
ceed $1,000. 900 900.
During the civil war st. Thomas was
tho rendezvous OF blockade runners,
md Charlotte Amalie enjoyed a sudden
short lived prosperity. Since that
time the commercial prosperity Of the
whole group has steadily declined. In
Mr.. Seward offered the Danish
Government s7.50o.o00 for them, but
although the proposal came from us the
Senate refused to ratify the treaty. In
?o2 another treaty OF cession was
signed, by which the United States wa
% buy the islands for Sc. 200. 900, but
he Danish Government rejected II.
In n letter to THE SUI Mr.. Jorgen-
'en qualifedly denies the statement OF
.rhambers's Encyclopedia as to yellow
ever being endemic In st. Thomas. II
conditions are better now II Ia probably
lue to what We have shown all the
Indies may he accomplished by
iSid sanitary regulations. such as we
In cuba during our occupation
since then In Porto Rico.
We come down to his none Of the
especially st. Croix and st.
IL Of the slightest value 10 US
|iu o'' HoIIids IL Ndlua-
lie only because It's harbor at Charlotte
\malie can be made a naval base.
vas not aware that military or naval
authorities now concede It to he the
most strategic spot in the world, bar
ing. perhaps. ONLY Gibraltar.
We live now In the days of dread
oughts and superdreadnouRhts, five 10
TX hundred feet long. eighty TO ninety
eet beam. from 10000 to 10000 tons
isplacement. How many such vessels
s the Pennsylvania. New York. Texas.
oklahoma. Wyoming. &C. could this
tile harbor shelter at one time? II a
Vest India cyclone should break upon
alt a dozen OF such warships In that ,
tile harbor they Won be TANNED. I
and probably sunk and what {
happen 10 them In case OF at
sck by half a dozen d~readnoughts ten
outside pouring IL inch shells into
aem' 1t would - like firing = double ,