t Uncle Sam Buys Islands If the deal is finally ratified by the Danish government for the sale of the Danish islands of the V West cst Indies Indies St. St St. Thomas St. St Croix or Santa Cruz and St. St for John J John for the sum of it will be the culmination of a a. dream of this government lasting la ting half halfa a a century On two previous occasions the government of Denmark and the United States have had under consideration a treaty for the sale of these islands N In 1867 the United States accepted an offer of the islands i of StThomas StThomas St. St rIn r- r Thomas and St. St John for This treaty was ratified at Copenhagen Copenhagen Copen Copen- hagen but was l laid id on the table by the senate of the United States and and c eventually the committee on foreign affairs of the senate reported re re- reported ported adversely on the question of ratifying the treaty Again in ill 1902 the question of transfer of ownership in the islands was considered by the two governments and the senate of the United States ratified the treaty in February At that time the offer included the three islands for the sum sum of and the treaty transferring them was signed on January 24 1902 It failed however however however how how- ever of confirmation in the upper house of the Danish by a atie atie atie tie vote The American government however did not give up up p hope of securing th these se important bases and has constantly kept up up negotiations for their St. St Thomas is the natural port of call for all European trade bound to the West Vest Indies the north part of South America and Central Central Central Cen Cen- America and with the other islands is of great importance in connection connection connection con con- with the isthmus of Panama The Tile United States government discovered the importance of having having having hav hav- ing a naval station in the West Indies during the Civil war At the time vessels carrying contraband found certain islands there very convenient convenient convenient con con- stopp stopping places on their trips from Europe Secretary Seward took up the question of their purchase with General the Danish minister at Washington in ill 1865 but Denmark had lost Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig in a war with Prussia and Austria and did not feel inclined to part with any more more territory When Then Seward again brought u up this question for discussion in 1866 the Danish minister suggested a a price of between and anel but Seward made a counter offer of which was declined In the next year the Danish government made its proposal to sell two of the islands for This was at the time the foreign affairs committee of the United States senate failed to recommend t the e purchase But Denmark like a great many other neutral countries has suffered suffered suf suf- in a f financiaL way owing to the great war in Europe and now it is considered highly probable that the very liberal offer made by bythe bythe the United States government will be accepted at Copenhagen It is js understood that the proposed treaty tr aty called for the relinquishment relin- relin relinquishment relinquishment by the United States to Denmark of all American rights of discovery in Greenland The largest of the three islands is St. St Croix lying about sixty- sixty five miles southeast of Porto Rico It varies in width from one to six miles is two twenty-two miles in length and has an n area of four eighty-four square miles It is said to have a very good harbor Sugar is one of its principal products The island of St. St Thomas is about forty miles east Porto of Rico and d is thirteen miles long varying in width from one to four miles and has an area rea of th thirty miles Aloes fibrous plants and fruits are are raised there but the production of sugar has f fallen llen of off fi since the abolition of slavery in 1848 There is a land locked harbor thre three quarters quart rs of a mile wide varying in depth from twenty-seven twenty to thirty-six thirty feet entered by a channel only three hundred yards wide The p principal town Charlotte Amalie is important as a coaling anc and cable station Four miles to the Aast Nast is the island of St. St John ten miles in length and two and oll one half half miles in width with an area oj of twenty-one twenty square miles Bay rum sugar cotton and tobacco constitute constitute tute its Hs small production It has a good harbor at Coral bay c. c While the he islands are not valuable for far their production or trade the completion of the Panama canal has made them extremely desirable desirable desira desira- ble for their strategic value as naval stations for this government