The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-25
DUI WEOI lVDlEO
Denmark Would Sell to u. ).
for $25, 100000.
Comprise Three Islands of
Strategic Military Value.
S5,0O0,O00, PRICE IN 1902
Intended to Buy Them, but
Senate Spoiled Deal.
Proximity to Panama Canal
Adds to Their Value.

for the purchase of the Danish West
Indies by the United States will prob
ably be closed today. Consideration
is approximately s25,000,00O, it was
stated officially at the White House.
The negotiations have been carried on
by the state department and the Dan
ish foreign office.
! 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 that
the treaty is practically certain OF be-
! ing ratified by the Danish parliament.
| Chairman Stone of the senate foreign
relations committee saw President
Wilson today but said afterwards he
had not discussed the purchase of the
Danish West Indies and knew nothing
| of the question. 1t is understood the
government hopes the treaty will be
ratified during the present session of
congress.
Negotiations Since Civil War.
| The three islands of the Danish
West Indies-St. Croix, st. Thomas
and ST. John-lie due east of Porto
Rico and their value to the United
States is strategic 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.
Important German. French and
English mail companies have coaling
stations there. The acquisition of the
! islands by the United States has been
the subject of unsuccessful diplo-
matte negotiations since the Civil war
,,-l
tions for their acquisition in 1855 be-
cause the naval operations of The war
had shown the necessity OF a base In
the West Indies. A treaty was made
and ratified by Denmark but the
| United States senate failed to act on
| it in proper time and it lapsed.
President Wilson, in his volume of
congressional government, written
about 1883 referred to the incident as
| the treaty marring power of the
senate Intellectual efforts were made
to reopen the negotiations during
President Grants administration and
in 1902 soon after President Roose-
welt came into office Secretary Hay
| took up the subject and Denmark Of
fered the islands for five millions
Had German Opposition.
The United States senate this time
| ratified the treaty but the Danish SEN
! ate defeated it. 1t was said at the
time in diplomatic circles that German
opposition influential in the Danish
parliament was responsible for the de-
feat 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 De
submitted to the people of the islands.
| In the first negotiations in 1865 they
approved a 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 ali the
| islands at various times. st. Croix,
lying sixty-five miles southeast of
Porto Rico, has an area of eighty-four
square miles, and is the most prosper
Gus of the group, with its two towns
of Christianstad and Frederikstad. It
was held at one time by the Knights
| of Malta, having been given to that
ia nous order by Louis XIV of France
Important Trade Center.
| St. Thomas, which lies only forty
miles east of Porto Rice and is less
thar 1 90 miles from the entrance to the
Panama canal, was at one time the
chief distributing center of West In
dian trade, its importance being di-
rectIy due to the fact that the mother
country. Denmark, maintained its neu-
traI.ty during the numerous European
wars of the eighteenth century
Charlotte Amalie, with a population of
less than 10000. mainly negroes, is
still an important coaling station for
steamers in the West Indian trade
With a depth of from twenty-five to
thirty-six feet of water, the roadstead
can accommodate the largest mer-
chant ships. ST. John, least important
of the islands, lying four miles to the
east of St Thomas, has an area of
twenty-one square miles Crux Bay.
a village of 1000 inhabitants on the
northern shore, is the center of ponu-
lation.
While Danish is the official lam
guage of the islands, English is quite
generally spoken Not infrequentIy
there are earthquakes and hurricane
Unfriendly Nation Might Get Them.
If Denmark decides to part with the
islands there will remain to her ONLY
two colonial ossessions-GreenIan
and Iceland.
Naval officers regard the Danish
West Indies as most valuable for any
European government wishing to
quarrel with the United States and
have urged that ii was essential 20
keep them from falling into llnfriend-
ly hands. They have pointed out that
they are very near the naval station
at Guantanamo, only thousand
miles from Key West. and a menace
to the free navigation of the Wind
ward and Mona passages, the Caribbean
sea and the routes to American At
lantic coast cities Denmark's huge
expenses since the beginning Of the
willingness to sell the islands