Tombstone epitaph., 1916-09-17

the United States. as she has @8 threatened to do on several oc-
 casions, about 138 square miles will be added to the territory over which the American flag flies, and our government will come into posses sion of one of the finest harbors in the West Indies-a valuable naval base and coaling station long coveted by political and military authorities In Washington. This is according to . writer in the New York Times Maga- gine.
 St Thomas. St. John. St. Croix and the other tiny islands and rocks which compose the Danish West Indies are not intrinsically valuable. Their land Is poor. their crops are small. their population is becoming smaller year by year; for several years their revenue has been decreasing and they have been a financial burden to Denmark. but they lie in strategic position with regard to the Atlantic trade routes leading 10 the Panama canal. and for that reason they have potential value th SAS oNhcAAlt ut1tlSc be worked out to protect that great waterway against an enemy.
 The chief surprise in Washington's announcement recently of the negotia- ton of treaty with Denmark for the transfer of the islands to the United States was the price-S25. .0OO,oOO- which the convention fixed. In 1865 Secretary Seward offered S5,OOO.OOO for the islands and increased the sum to S7,JOO,O00 two years later. In 1902 the Roosevelt administration agreed to pay $5,0OO, 900. but the upper house of the Danish rigsdag refused to ratify the convention. which the United States senate had ratified on February 17. Possibly Denmark will eventually be willing to accept less than S25,OOO,, GOO. for an influential element in tha, country Is anxious to sell the islands Moreover. the islanders themselves apparently wish to improve their eco homie condition. and 1t Is highly prob able that they would vote to place their future in the hands of the United States. They voted in favor of the transfer 50 years ago and they have less to lose and more to gain al this time.
 The reasons that induced the United States to try to purchase the Danish West Indies toward the close of the Civil war apparently hold good today, with certain notifications. Dur sR.,t St <aIA ment had no naval base in the West Indies, and when 1t was necessary tC refit warships on duty in the Caribbean the vessels were compelled to take 6 long voyage to find shipyard. Now however, the United States has nava these are not considered sufficient tt | guard the trade routes and the Allan | tic entrance to the Panama canal. SaI Juan, the chief port of Porto Rico, has | a spacious anchorage. but unfortunate 1 iy the water is comparatively shallow and the harbor is suitable only for thu smaller class of war vessels.
 On the other hand, the harbor ot | Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, 1: | deep enough to float the largest battle ships without danger, and there Is an other good anchorage called Cora! bay | in St. John. With proper Notifications | naval men believe that St. Thomas would provide serviceable and vir tual!y .np-csuab.c tasc-a scr: ,. American Helgoland in the Caribbean The port of Charlotte Amalie has long been one of the great coaling stations of the world. It has shipyards. dry docks and repair shops, and besides being a port of refuge it Is the head quarters for several lines of passen ger and freight steamships. Undoubt edly the ports proximity to the Pana ma canal gives 1t an importance which may account for the high price the United States ,s asked to pay for the islands.
 It has been said at various times that Germany is opposed to the sale oi the islands, hoping that some day a modification of the Monroe doctrine would enable her to acquire them foI naval purposes. Whatever truth there may be in this statement 1t is certain that the United States will allow nc foreign power to take control of the Danish West Indies, even though they | sre not hrought under the American