Evening star., 1918-04-07


lC States may fnd a salve. It's
S q nature is only vaguely limited
at as yet. but there are echoes across
the ocean. which seem to show that the
Dutch people. or possibly the govern
ment. are looking to a satisfactory So
luton Of the situation that goes be-
yond compensation for the use of the
vessels.
The suggestion is that the United
States may. find it feasible to relieve
Holland Of the burden Of her colonial
possessions in the new world-that is.
the Caribbean coast section and the
tirety nave a geographical area Of about
2SS.0O square miles, and between
10000 and 100000 Inhabitants.
When, In the earlier stages of the
great war. the United States unexpect-
edly bought the Danish West Indies.
years previously $5.000.000 was all that
Denmark had asked, the question i'm
mediately raised was whether the is
lands were worth the price. The for
eign relations committee of the Senate,
before recommending the ratification of
the treaty. investigated this aspect Of
the purchase and unanimously agreed
that in the existing circumstances the
price was justifiable. The Senate took
the same view and ratified the treaty.
The American people approved this ac-
tion.
The strategic value of the harbor Of
st. Thomas for the control of the Pana-
ma canal was the principal motive for
acquiring the Danish West Indies. It
supplemented the American naval sta
tion at Guantanamo on the eastern end
Of Cuba.
Following the acquisition of st.
Thomas questions were raised whether
American policy would not require
ultimately that the United States should
acquire all the West India Islands, and
this. Of course, included the Dutch
West Indies. They were not of equal
strategic Importance with the Danish
group and their becoming part of the
United States perhaps meant more to
them than to this country. yet the
possibility was recognized as one that
some day would have to be met.
The Dutch West Indies comprise
several islands. These are Curacao,
Bonaire. oruba. st. Eustasius. Saba
and a part of the. little Island of St.
is filled with the romance of the days
of the buccaneers, and the times when
England, Spain, France and the Neither
lands were maritime powers of equal
other through their own buccaneer
admirais for the control of all the
islands of the Caribbean. Thus it hap
pened that the islands which now COM
prise the Dutch group have been under
other flags and have been handed back
and forth.
The largest of the group, and the
most populous. is Curacao, which lies
off the coast of Venezuela. It's area Is
a little more than 200 square miles, or
about that of the District of Columbia.
Willemstadt Is the capital not only of
the island. but of the whole group.
Hollands overseas administration for
these islands centers there.
Curacao Is not a very fertile island.
but it has some tropical products which
furnish the basis for commerce. It's
chief commercial value. however, is in
its geographical situation. 1t serves
the mainland of South America, as well
as some of the adjacent islands. as
distributing center for imported COM
modities When the Panama canal
was built 1t entertained hopes Of be-
plies for the canal traf1c, but there
we're SO many other West India ports
similarly situated that these hopes
failed of realization.
n r
The port OF WiHeHstaot mas ABOUT
20 900 inhabitants. a considerable num-
Der of whom are political refugees
from Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti and
Santo Domingo. The personnel of these
refugee colonies changes with the sue
cess or failure ofs attempted reyolu-
tions, but the number Of their men,
bers does not diminish. The Dutch
government extends to them the toll
GRANGE which ali the Latin American
governments extend to political exiles.
but keeps a watchful eye lest overt
acts he committed: These refugees
hardly .can be considered q commercial
asset aIthn,1rh they spend money. free