Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-17
UNCLE SAM IN THE CARlBBEAN---I.
ny EIIIl IIAX

CHARLOTTE AMALIE. DANISH
WEST INDIES. March l6.--The Amer
lean flag is shortly to he raised over
this group OF islands. the United States
having agreed by treaty to pay the
Danish government $25.0OO.OOO for all
OF the holdings of the latter country
In the West Indies.
On the map the West Indies arc seen
as Il string OF islands. beginning with
tho large ones of Cuba and Santo DO
lnihGo. thinning out in midocean to a
few almost invisible dots, and then
emerging TO the South again in the
larger French aud English islands
What We have bought from Denmark
ar" about nifty OF these little pin-hcad
islands. Only three OF them are large
enough l" nave names on the map.
ana the largest contains but eighty
Tour squire miles. insignificant as
thcN appear geographically. however
THESE islands are most interesting, and
may become Important
81. ih"mas and St John belong to
IN" virgin group OF islands. which
was discovered by Columbus as wna
also 81. troiX. ST. Thomas was sc,tlcd
by the Dutch. who left il for Now
YORK. Then the Danes took il. and the
r'hGiiSh TOOK IL away from the Danes
several times. but always gave n hack
because they did not want IT, Tho
Dutch and the English also su,abhInd
IN small way over st. C'roix. then
the Spanards got hold Of IL. only In
nc driven out by the French. who gave
IL 10 IN" knights OF Malta. they.
hcihI unable To make "a living thcrc
burned their holdings and dcnortcJ
pchhiark thcrnuDon got ST. Croiy f,,,
me same reason that sho rot (,
Ihomas: namely. because nobody clsc
W'nte" u. She has been losing money
on INC islands almost ever since. thar
s25.OoO.000 will bc the first nroni ira,
i'hihark. as nation. has made out ar
time. '''S
The hisi"ry OF our own relation 20
the islands has been much renc,ted n
late. In 1865 Secretary Of state seward
offered S',50o.0o0 for them A r,,o
WIS taken here. and tho people wcrc
almost unanimous for tho transfer
The hill then died in tho senate Com
mitt"c on Foreign Relations. In 1902
No wasted an opportunity to buy Tho
Islands for s5,ooo.0o0.
Twenty Million. Incren.c.
In 1916 we jumped at tho ,b.n,o o,
b"y them for se5.co0.o0o. and now I,
remains only I" pay over tho money
ana raise tho Tag. The price comes 10
n'Ariy s3"" an acre. as against
cents an a"r" which we maid for
Alaska. p cents for the Philippines
ana about $50 for the Canal Zone
mus II is sc"n that colonies ul;n
eNcrything else. are going up in pr,co
nus crude summary OF the history
., the Danish West Indies gives no
,n"a or their real story. which is
n,en WIN romance ~ tho Spanish
mann. with pirates and privarccrs ANA
n"uhl"ons and creole beauties rhc
SANDS are Uttered with old cannon.
, n'nc" i"rtS and all the other stage
PROPS or swashbuckling romano.
"eologicaliy. these islands are tho
Ups OF badly swamped mountain
range 81. Thomas juts suddenlv M,
OF me water. like swimmers head
rom IT'S highest point you can see
ior'o faco to the west. and AN amaz.
ing amount Of ocean all around Their.
~ practically no cultivation. b.caus.
All the people make a living on, Of
the harbor. Fire and hurricau. have
swept the island almost clear OF for
est; tut there Is low dense growth of
brush. which affords "A shelter for wild
goats and deer. while u few cattle
craze on the open. windswcpt mountain
tops The island is beautiful. with a
vivid, unexpected heauty-an ideal
place 10 explore with pony and a
camera. And the bulk OF II is now