Evening star., 1916-08-17
Political Chickering'S Have
Marked Every Negotiation
Since Inception of Plan.
FIRST OFFER TO BUY IN
LINCOLN ADMINISTRATION
Danish Ministries Overthrown Dur
ing Many Dealings for Purchase
of key to the Antilles"

tfations looking to the purchase by the
United States of the little group Of
Danish West India Islands have been
completed and the treaty has been laid
before the Congress of tho United
States and the parliament of Denmark
for ratification. the question is raised
will there be a repetition of the snarl,
diplomatic and political. which in
these islands?
The islands lay away off in the Ca
ribbean. jealously watched by Euro
pean powers, who made insistent pro-
tests to Denmark In 1866 and 1858
when Secretary of State Seward and
Gen. Rasloff. Danish minister. were en-
deavoring to bring about a sale. They
have been swept over by Spaniard,
Dane, Frenchman and Englishman in
the days when colonizing and blood
shed and piracy went hand in hand.
They later became the key to the At
titles in a trade sense, and may yet
become the center of trade war: and
following the diplomatic and cautious
advances of the United States in the
wears Immediately following the close
of the civil war the negotiations
aroused DlIIeF antagOnlSn III
became involved in the fierce political
struggles and hatred of the days of
Seward and Sumner and President
Johnson. and one historian lays at the
door of the United States the downfall
of the first liberal government which
Denmark had. 1t was charged that
because the United States tempted Den
mark to sell the islands for $4,000, 900
and then. after years of delay. refused
to ratify the offer. the liberal govern
80 IL = 11r-
the disguised Danes. and the relations
between this country and Denmark k
were cool. if not strained. for several
wears.
Case of ''Capt. Christmas.
Moreover. as is quite customary with
long continued deals or possible deals,
there arose at one time in Washington
a lobby for the sale of the islands, and
charges made by loud-voiced accusers
brought about a congressional investi-
cation in which a picturesque figure
popularity named Capt. Christmas" ap-
peared- He had a long Danish name,
but was known by the romantic title
mentioned. and in one of the old files
Of the congressional Investigations he
although a native Of the Danish West
Indies.
Capt. Christmas appeared before a
committee of which John Dalzell was
chairman and made most remarkable
series Of charges against Standard, Oil
omcia1s and other trust personages,
the gist Of which was that Christmas Is
was the accredited agent of the Danish
government. and that he would have
erected q sale to this government of
the islands had not the aforesaid trust
millionaires stepped in and stopped the
negotiations because they were not
getting a profit from the deal Toward
the end of the hearings. statements
government that Capt Christmas was
not acting under its authority at ALL
Desire for Naval Station.
Probably the desirability of the har-
Dor Of St. Thomas as a naval station
for the United States was spoken OF
in the cabinet conclaves of the Lincoln
administration and In the conferences
of naval experts during the days OF
81 and "a. Naval experts have said
since then that had the United States
owned a naval station in the West In
dies the civil war would have been
shorter. Therefore, soon after the end
OF the war, Secretary of State Seward
mentioned to the Danish minister. Gen.
Rasioff. that the United States would
like TO enter into negotiations for the
purchase of the Islands of st. Thomas
ST. John and Santa Cruz. The history
afforded by newspaper correspondence
Of the period has il that the matter
was talked of first between the two
AT dinner party at the French en-
bassy in this city given January T.
1865. Cen Rasloff expressed surprise
but Secretary Seward said he was in
earnest and asked that the matter
be laid before the King of Denmark
Accordingly this was done. and mean
time Secretary Seward was thrown
from his carriage and hurt and when
q reply came back that the islands
were not for sale. the acting Secretary
Of State knew nothing about the nego-
iations. which had been purely of q
personal nature and rather informal
And there the matter rested for a
time. OF course. the matter became
the gossip of courts and governments
and the diplomats Of Europe bent their
energies to block the proposed deal
France, England and Germany are
credited with exerting more influence
than any other nations upon the little
Danish peninsula, and the matter be-
came more of a political issue In Dem
mark than 1t ever was In this country
Willing to Entertain Proposal.
Then came the assassination of Presi-
dent Lincoln and the attack upon Sew
ard, and all else faded into insignif-
cance for the time. Secretary Seward
was a long time recovering. and mean
time there had been a change of gov
srnment in Denmark. the new ministry
being more favorable to q sale to the
United States Of the islands.
A writer in the Boston Daily Adver-
tiser described the situation then in
these words:
The general drift of instructions
from the new Danish cabinet to the
minister here was. that, while the gov
eminent had no desire to sell, IL was
rot absolutely unwilling to entertain
Mr.. Seward's proposition"
Denmark wanted TO know how much
the United States was willing TO give
West Indies for his health. landed upon
st. Thomas and decided the United
States must have the island, and on
his return wrote a note to Gen. Ras-
loH, which was taken by him to Copen-
hagen. offering S5.o00.o0o for the is
lands.
Gen. Ra.lofY arrived in Denmark
about the time the government was
overthrown again. The new ministry
adopted standpat attitude and ne
reply 10 the Seward offer was forth.
coming.
Opposition to Sale Develops.
The Danes seemed to have consider.
able love for the little Caribbean
colony. and Danish politics seethed with
the proposed purchase by this country
Meantime Secretary Seward was ca.
Jling ever and anon to the United