Evening star., 1940-06-26
Caribbean Islands
Held VituI to u. S.
Says This Nation Must Insure
Them Against Control by
Hostile Power
To the Editor of The Star:

uOStIS rover
To the Editor of The Star:
Hitler has stated in an interview with
an American newspaper correspondent
that American fears of German in
vasion Of the Western Hemisphere are
childish and grotesque";; that he
believes in maintaining a reciprocal,
basic Monroe Doctrine between Europe
and the Americas. Whether the United
States Government will choose to believe
him in spite of his many misrepresenta-
tions of Germanys territorial aims, TAX
ing the viewpoint that, the war once
ended, Germany will have its hands full
in Europe, or whether it will consider
probable economic penetration of South
America by a victorious Reich as de-
trimental to American interests in the
long run as an armed invasion now, is
not yet known.
Military authorities, like Maj. George
Fielding Eliot, contrast the holes in our
Atlantic outpost system with our very
good Pacific outpost system which serves
both offensive and defensive purposes.
The Danish or Virgin Islands of the West
Indies were purchased by our Govern
ment in 1917, when there was even less
chance of an Allied defeat than today.
Government officials felt that it was
better for us to possess them than for
them to be taken over by a power
with expanding imperialistic tendencies.
Shortly after their acquisition they
suffered an economic depression which
was attributed to the change of flags.
Lately, this resentment has been for
gotten. Our desire for any islands OF
the Caribbean is negative one. We
would claim them only to prevent an
aggressive nation from using them as
bases from which to attack us. We would
prefer to have their present owners keep
them, with the understanding that they
do not dispose of them without our ap-
proval. The present European owners are
Great Britain. France and Holland.
Cuba and Haiti and the Dominican
Republic, which constitute the two
largest islands. are neutral and inde-
pendent. Our temporary Jurisdiction
over Cuba and reactions to the PIatt
Amendment should have taught us some
thing. Nevertheless, our present naval
bases in Puerto Rico. the Virgin Islands,
and Guantanamo Bay would not prove
sufficiently strong to withstand invaders
bent on destroying the Panama Canal
and crippling our defense, if they were
surrounded by nest of hostile islands.
The British West Indies are the most
extensive and the closest to us. They
were refugees for many Tories during the
American Revolution, as well as bases
for blockade runners during the War
between the States and source of liquor
during prohibition. Divided into the
Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Leeward.
Trinidad and Windward groups, they
maintain different forms of government.
Sugar and fruit are the major products
and, like most of the West Indies and
the Guianas, the population is largely
Negro.
Some authorities discount the strategic
value OF the islands. They feel that we
would be adding to our already un-
pleasant economic and financial troubles
and they point out the conflicting
ideologies and varied races we would be
bringing under the American flag. Re
cent copies Of the London Spectator
have carried articles on Jamaica and
various other islands of the West Indies
group. I'VE can spend money on the
colonies but we cannot float them in
money forever" observes one of these.
Another laments the lack of social cohe-
sion which characterizes Jamaica, where
II per cent of the population is illegiti-
mate; while third cites the problems OF
overcrowdlng and malnutrition in
locality where the benefits derived from
increased crops are always nullified by
excessive increases in population. Andres
is about the only island capable of sup
porting many more people, and its lack
OF good harbors makes the island in
accessible except by air or by very small
boats.
Trinidad. of the Venezuelan coast. is
the most prosperous. Its chief resources
are asphalt, manjack and petroleum.
The staple products are sugar, cacao and
coconut Some years ago it was rumored
that Trinidad wanted to become Ameri-
can. The polyglot population was
formerly more negroid than ANYTHING
else, but large number of East Indians
were brought over after the abolition of
slavery on the island. Discovering it
today. Columbus would surely think he
had found the longed- for route to India.
1t is possible that Venezuela would want
Trinidad in the same way that Argentina
desires the Falklands and would con-
slider acquisition of the island by another
foreign power as hostile act. Both are
ambitious young nations, and should
venezuela revert to tyrant rule of the
Gomez type, treaties with dictators would
be more welcome than with democracies
and the legend of the big stick might be
revived to quell that of the fifth column,
This is hypothetical The present
danger spot is said by many to be the
Dutch colonies. Curacao, Bonaire and
Aruba dominate the ports of Colombia
and Venezuela. Their trade is mainly
With the United States. Curacao's in
terest has changed with the years from
piracy to phosphate. Aruba now is i'm
portant as storehouse for oil, drawn
from Venezuelan lakes. It is hampered
only by lack of water Naval experts
are bothered by the fact that Santa
Anna has an excellent harbour lust 669