Evening star., 1920-03-02
'ADO0 SUGGESTS
j. s. BUY NEARBY
BRITISH ISLANDS
Says Credit Price to Debt.
Believes Course Would
Stabilize Exchange.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

William Gibbs McAdoo, former Sec
retary Of the Treasury. is in town
for a little while. presumably to
nurse along his political boom. Hav-
ing dealt with matters Of taxation,
it is natural that he should be found
discussing ways of reducing taxes.
And the most novel suggestion he
makes 10 that the United States shall
buy several British colonies, such as
the Bermudas, Jamaica. British Hon
duras, Barbados, the Bahamas, Mas
sau and other islands OF the Atlantic
coast of this continent. In payment,
Mr.. McAdoo declares. the United
states should give Great Britain
Se credit bes1.s on her VII Tir & debt sa to US This
and ourselves, because it will tend
to stabilize foreign exchange and
mean an earlier settlement OF the
European debt.
It's hard to estimate what the price
of islands is on the market Of inter-
United States purchased the Danish
West Indies for $25,000.0 900. OF course.
the British possessions are much more
valuable than that. The price might
be calculated on the basis of exports
and imports. and some of the British
possessions are worth a good deal.
for instance, has plenty Of
sugar. though it's rum is not particu-
larly useful at this time. On the
whole, the United States could find a
billion dollars worth of value in some
of these islands without much trouble,
and get it back in commodities in a
short time.
As to Self-Determination.
But were it not for the principle
by the distinguished father
in-law of Mr.. McAdoo, namely, the
would be easy to get the proposition
going, for it is said that British sem
timent Is not a bit averse to discus
sion of the matter. What. for in
stance. would be the opinion of peo-
ples in the Bermudas. Bahamas. and
so on. about being annexed to dry
land?
Seriously speaking, there has been
an annexation movement in some of
these British islands for some time.
They have wanted to be annexed to
the United States for various reasons,
mostly commercial advantages grow
ing out of geographical proximity.
But the advantages of prohibition have
not vet taken hold of the British
Perhaps the islands
could be gotten ready for annexation
only after some of the Anti-Saloon
Leagues agents Nau peeH dpie 10 SOW
the seed which was so eHectiVe inside
the United States.
Outlines His Views.
Mr.. McAdoo. however, sees the ques-
tion purely as to its bearing on finan-
cial relations between the British en-
9ire and the United States. Says Mr..
McAdoo.
TT is highly desirable. both on our
own account and that of our allies,
that the settlement of our loans to
our allies be rendered as quick and
as easy as possible. Our chief debtor
is. of course, Great Britain, and this
arises naturally out of the fact that
Great Britain has literally pledged
her credit to sustain that Of her
allies. Now for the past 100 years
in and near our shores-Jamaica, the
Bahamas. Barbados. Nassau, British
and the Bermudas, off our
south Atlantic coast. These British
possessions. so long held by friend
ly maritime power, do not jeopardize
the security of the Atlantic and gulf
coast of the United States.
with the process of time, we have
now become the leading economic
power in the world and have devel-
,ped the Panama canal and a navy
and merchant marine which make
tant to US. Might 1t not be possible
to work out a plan by which Eng
lands debt to us could be reduced by
the transfer to US of certain British
possessions in the western hemisphere
TO the extent of their value? The Brit
ish empire at this moment comprises
one-sixth of the land area of the
whole world, and, according to Brit
sh economic experts, the surplus capi-
tal of the mother country Will for
many years to come be expended in
the development Of the agricultural
and mineral resources of the great
lf-governing dominions and of In
iia. imagine that Great Britain
would not object to such a disposition
,f these islands. especially as they
would go to a friendly power. I see
nothing in such proposal to offend
the just pride of great people.
whereas such a liquidation of a por
ion of the British debt might be a
happy solution of part OF Great
Britain's immediate financial prob
Iem"
Great Britain's Possessions.
INQUIRY among British correspond
,nts in tho National Capital leads to
he conclusion that the matter would
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