Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-25

1t is understood that the 6
will be ratified during the preser
Denmark Will Ratify Treaty.
While details of the treaty were not
given out it is understood that the
United States would come into COM
plete possession of the islands. WORD
has been received from Denmark tnat
the treaty is practically certain OF
being ratified by the Danish parlia-
ment.
The United States will obtain from
Denmark full possession Of the ISLANDS
of ST. Thomas, st. John and ST. CrolA'
or Santa Cruz as IT Is pe.ter no ~ ~
the east coast of Porto Rico. They are
142 square miles in area and support
popula ton of $4,000 persons, Nearly
ali the inhabitants of the ISLANDS are
negroes, who live by the CULTIVATION
of cane sugar.
ate foreign relations committee, saw
President Wilson today, but SAID aIter-
ward that he had not discussed the
purchase of the Danish West lnoies
and knew nothing Of the question.
Of Strategic Value.
The three islands of the Danish
West Indies-St. Croix. St. Thomas and
Ct John-lie due east of Porto Rico
and their value to the United States Is
.tra+exic from military point OF
view. The harbors of st. Thomas and
ST. Croix are of first Importance to the
American navy, and st. Thomas itself
lies in the lane of shipping from
Europe to the Panama Canal I'm :
nortant German, French and English
mail companies have coaling stations
there.
United States has been the subject OF
diplomatic nesotlatioI,, ,
since the civil war. Secretary SeWaIo
began negotiations for their acqulsi-
tions of the war had shown the neces-
sity of a base in the West Indies. A
treaty was made and ratified by Den
mark but the United States Senate
failed to act on it in proper time ana
it Iapsed. President Wilson in his
volume on congressional government
written about 1888. referred to the IN
cident as the treaty -marring power
of the Senate"
Intellectual efforts were made to re-
open the negotiations during PRESIDENT
Grants administration, and in 1907.
soon after President Roosevelt came
into office. Secretary Hay took up the
subject and Denmark offered the
islands for five millions.
The United Ctates Senate this time
ratified the treaty, but the Danlsn
senate defeated 1t.
Opposed by the AristocratA
It was said at the time in diplomatic
circles that German opposition inhuen-
ttal in the Danish parliament was re-
sponsible for the defeat of the plan.
Later Judgment. however. attributed
the opposition to Danish aristocrats.
This opposition still is said to exist.
and it is said that if the proposed
treaty is ratified by both governments
the transfer will be submitted to the
people of the islands. In the first ne
in 1865, they approved
change.
The three islands of ST. Croix. St.
Thomas and ST. John, in the order of
their size and population. were dis
covered by Columbus in 1893. Spanish.
British, French, Dutch and Danish flags
have floated over one or all of the
islands at various times. st. Croix.
lying sixty-five miles southeast of Por-
to Rico, has an area Of eighty-four
square miles, and is the most prosper
Gus of the group, with its two towns
was held at one time by the Knights of
Malta, having been given to that IA
nous order by Louis XIV Of France.
st. Thomas, which lies only forty
than 1900 miles from the entrance to
the Panama canal. was at one time
the chief distributing center of West
Indian trade, it's Importance being di-
rectly attributable to the fact that the
mother country. Denmark, maintained
fro1 ifu drlri iyc
European wars of the eighteenth CEN
tury.
Occupied by the British.
The temporary occupation of the is
land by the British during several Pc
RODS of the Napoleonic wars added
further to the Importance of the chief
port Charlotte Amalie, where mer-
chant vessels rode at anchor in the
land-locked farbor while
waiting for conveys. to protect them
On the voyage across the Atlantic.
This town. with a population of less
than 10000. mainly negroes. is still an
mportan. coaiing station for steamers
in the West Indian trade. With a depth
IF from twenty-seven to thirty-six
feet of water. the roadstead can ac.
the largest merchant ships
which sail these seas. The export and
import trade has become negligible
since the rapid decline of the sugar
industry. which the Danish govern
ment has tried in vain to revive by
granting annual subsidies.
ST. John, least important of the islands,
wing four miles to the east Of ST. Thom-
Is. has an area Of twenty-one square
niles. It is scarcely more than a ten
nile mountain ridge. with but one dis
inguishinK feature, Coral bay, the best
,arbor of refuge in the Antilles. Crux-
,ay. village Of one thousand inhabitants
N the northern shore, is the center Of
population.
he islandA Engush u quite SensE1lly