Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-07
Islands For Sale
BY FREDERIC j. HAsKIN

Washington. d. c., Feb. 2S.-The
question of buying the Danish West
Indies has again been brought. to the
attention OF the United States' Twice
before--in Lincoln's and in Roose-
velt's administration negotiations
were entered into for the purchase Of
these islands, only to fail of ratifica-
ton at the last moment This time,
however, the offer comes from Copen-
hagen. with assurances that the peo-
pie of Denmark have announced them
selves in favor of the proposition. So
now it is up to Uncle Sam.
The Danish West Indies are the is
lands of st. Thomas, st. John and ST..
Croix in the Antillean group lying
east of Porto Rico, the nearest, St.
Thomas. being only thirty-six miles
away The islands are of volcanic or
igin, and the high cliffs of their coast
lines make them natural Notifications.
OF the three islands, ST. Thomas,
although the smallest is the most
important. Possessing an excellent
harbor, and called the Gibraltar Of
America, it would be strategic asset
to the United States both in, mill
tary and commercial sense. With bat
teries mounted on the jutting cliffs
which shelter it's harbor Of Charlotte
>Amelia, Uncle Sam could make of this
island valuable accessory in the de-
Tense of the Panama canal. 1t would
also form an outer defense for Porto
Rico and Cuba, which in turn COM
mand the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover:
the establishments of strong naval
base in the West Indies would give US
control of the Caribbean and strength
en- the Monroe doctrine.
Furthermore. the islands are covet-
ed by other nations; SO that their i'm.
portance to the United States lies not
only in their strategic value to us, but
in the menace of hostile ownership.
In case of war with a nation holding
st. Thomas, the enemy would have a
base in the western hemisphere and
threaten the Panama canal. Hence
the importance of buying these
islands, and OF buying them now.
The commercial possibilities of the
Danish West Indies need only the
strong hand of the Anglo-Saxon to de.
velop them into facts For many
years the islands have proved nothing
but an expense to the Danes. How
ever, they have laid out the towns in
neat, wide streets; they have built
comfortable houses and established
libraries, schools and churches; they
have put in drainage systems, and
built good roads. Yet they have failed
to make the most of the resources of
the soil and have been unable to main
tain trade, which has fallen off con-
in the last few years.
The harbors are good and the land,
while rocky in places, is tropically
verdant and especially adapted to the
growing of sugar cane. There are
many sugar plantations which employ
most of the negro population. The
negroes are descendants of slaves i'm.
ported in the early days by the Dutch
and subsequently given their freedom
by the Danish parliament They are
typical West Indian negroes of the
sort that built the Panama canal, only
a trifle milder and lazier. -.
The islands enjoy a moderate eli.
mate, the temperature rarely going
below seventy or above ninety de-
grees. During August, September and
October when the south winds pre-.
vail, the atmosphere is hot and sultry
and many thunder storms occur.
Earthquakes happen often, but are
not violent enough to do any damage;
occasionally there is cyclone which
does a great deal.
On st. Thomas island almost the
entire population lives in the. town of
Charlotte Amelia. Lying on the sides
Of three lofty hills, banked with trop-
ical foliage, and with it's front street.
a shaded driveway, skirting the blue
watoro NJ tho harhor Char1ofto Amo1o