Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-08-07
SOME SENATORS TO FIGHT CON-
sFlRMATIoN OF SALE OF is
LANDS TO UNITED STATES.
PRICE HELD TO BE
ENTIRELY TOO HIGH
Water Front Of St. Thomas Held to Be
Owned by German Shipping interests
President Prepares to Refute OPP
position Arsuments-ProbabIe Pur-
chase Will BE Ratified.


the sale of the Danish West Indies to
the United States, signed in New YORK
Friday will be opposed in the senate
on the following grounds:
First-That the water front OF ST.
Thomas, the important port which the
navy desires as a base for the defense
CT the continental United States ana
the Panama canal, is owned by ue'-
man shipping corporations.
Second-That the price OF S2o,oVO,oo9
is excessive in view OF the TACT that
the Danish government, tho not the
Danish parliament, accepted s5,0oO,ooo
decade ago.
Third-That the islands are In
habited mostly by negroes, and that II
is not desirable for this rea$on TO IN
corporate them as part ot the
United States.
Fourth-That the democratic party
can not continue the policy OF SEEK
ing colonies when it is earnestly en-
deayoriug to withdraw from the PhlI-
ippines.
Wilson Refutes Objections.
President Wilson and Secretary Lam
sing have considered carefully the op-
jections which will be leveled asalns:
their actions and are prepared 10 sno"
that none of tham is sound. SO tar as
The ownership of land by German cor
nora tons is concerned, the right Oh
eminent domain" applies and this gov
eminent can acquire whatever harpor
fnr a
it has in mind
AS to the price, the Islands are Oh
the utmost strategic value, both win
respect TO the Atlantic coast and gun
states and the Panama canal, and un-
der these circumstances the sum u
s25 100000 is not CONSIDERED excessive.
1t is quite true that most OF the
population is of negro blood, but there
are less than 10000 persons on the is
lands, and their transfer to the Amer
lean flag would not constitute any
menace to the United States.
So far as the apparent inconsistency
in democratic policy i" concerned IL -
asserted there is d great difference pc
tween isla nds in the West Indies, which
are needed for defensive purposes ana
islands in the far Pacific, which, it Is
claimed. make for the military weak
ness Of the nation.
Natural Base For an Enemy.
The general board of the navy -
preparing a memorandum describing
the Importance of possession OF the
islands by the United States. 1t is
obvious. according to these experts,
that any European nation attacking
this country must establish, inst OF
all. base from which to operate.
This is impossible on the Atlantic
or gulf coast, because before an army
can be transported the seas must De
swept free OF the enemy; and the IN
crease in the regular forces OF the
United States assures the prompt de-
struction of any small number OF men
which hostile fleet might be able to
land.
The natural place for an enemy to
locate base would be the West Indies,
for this would provide him with Qua.
objective-the United States proper
and the Panama canal.
Overcome Strategic Handicap.
The navy now has a base at Guam
tanamo, on the southeastern shore o.
Cuba. Unfortunately, this base is a
thousand miles from the extreme west
ern fringe of the West Indian Islands
and so situated that an enemy could
swing to the south and pass into the
Caribbean sea, seizing a harbor such
as that of Curacao, 500 miles from tho
Panama canal, owned by the Dutch
government.
In order to overcome this strategic
handicap, the navy sought TO make a
base at Culebra, to the west OF Porto
Rico, but conditions did not justify the
experiment, which cost some $3,000,000.
Porto Rico is not available, because It
has no harbors. There is a splendid
harbor on the western coast of Santo
Domingo, but that island is independ-
ent and could not be induced to PRINT
an American naval station to be estab-
lished on its soil.
Ratification Is Expected.
Inquiries made of various senators
indicate that the Danish treaty will be
ratified. Senator Stone. chairman OF
the foreign relations committee, has
not the slightest doubt about it. The
treaty will be pressed, not as party
but as a non-partisan proposal, and as
such it will be backed by Senator
Lodge, the senior republican member
of the foreign relations committee.
Having acquired the Danish West
Indies for the defense Of the Panama
canal from attack by a European
power, it is regarded as highly de-
sirable that this government should
purchase the Galapagos Islands, be-
longing to Ecuador, for the defense
of the water way from attack by ar
Asiatic power.
1t is understood that tentative steps
have been taken looking to the nego
tiations of treaty with Ecuador COW
ering the Galapagos group. Lying 600
miles from the canal, naval experts
say the islands would be a most de-
sirable addition to the system Of cana
defense.