Norwich bulletin., 1916-08-15
Danish Action on
 Sale of Islands
LOWER HOUSE FAVoRS SUBMIT
 TING IT TO POPULAR VOTE
UPPER HOUSE OPPOSED
FoIEeething Voted 62 to A in Favor of Selling the Danish West Indies to the United States if Popular Vote Favored the Sale

Copenhagen, Aug. 14, via London, $40 D. m.-The FoII5ething, or lower house of the Danish parliament today voted in favor of selling the Danish West Indies to the United States, if a pleb1scite favored the sale The vote was 62 for the proposition to A against 1t, one member being denied a vote and six being absent
 Having taken this action, the Foll1e- thing took up the question of ratiff- cation of the treaty itself, providing for the sale of the islands. The num- Der of votes cast for and against the treaty was the same as that upon the first sale.
 To Submit to People for Ratification
 Discussion in the Folkething turned upon the question whether the plebis- cite or elections or both the elections and the pIebisCite shall take place be- fore reaching a settlement of the sale of the islands. Premier Zahle stated that if the elections should be neces- sary, the government would have to ask the American government if the matter could be postponed till the new ly elected rigsdag meets in November.
 Landsthing Opposed to Sale.
 An influential member of the con servative party in the Landsthing, the upper house, stated to the Associated Press that it seems to be settled that the Landsthing will reject the treaty. Public meetings on the treaty will be- gin in the LandSthing tomorrow. The fact that the opposition in the Folke- thing was not in the slightest degree paCiffCd by the governments proposed plebisCite-the division was the same as had been predicted two days ago appears to justify the prediction that the Landsthing, where the opposition is in the majority, will reject the treaty.
 Rejection Would Mean Delay
 A rejection would mean delay of probably three months in the final disposition of the islands, since gen eral elections hardly could be finished before the end of October and the new government probably would not get into harness before the middle of No Vember.
 Government Ready for Test. The Associated Press is assured by i the highest sources that the govern ment at no time had nor has the | slightest desire to evade a test of | strength at general elections, but would greatly regret their becoming | necessary. in the case of the West In i dian islands for two reasons: First, | because of the delay which would thus l be caused, and second, because the l proposed plebiscite would take the l West Indies question out of politics and compel a decision solely on obiec- l tive grounds.
 1 International Party Politics.
 As the situation now stands the ] whole matter has become one of pure 1 ly international party politics in which l the disposition of the islands is all | but lost sight of. The government feels | that the sale or retention of the is 1 lands ought not to be made depend l ent in any degree on international i strife of the various parties, which it 1 would be if the decision is thrown in with the varied issues of a general i election. The government is particu- ] larly anxious to accelerate a decision as to the fate of the islands because | it feels it is under obligation to the 1 United States to avoid needless delay
 in the matter