Show CAUSE FOR ROOTS SPEECH Called Forth by an Intrigue Concerning Concern-ing Danish West Indies New York May l1he Times publishes pub-lishes an elaborate article declaring Secretary of War Roots address at the Grant dinner last Friday night in which he hinted at the possibility of war to maintain the Monroe doctrine was called forth by an Intrigue concerning con-cerning the Danish West India Islnn sIt s-It appears that II H Rogers of the Standard Oil company made a verbal 1 agreement with Denmark that if he should negotiate a sale of the Islands lie should receive a commission of ten per cent of the purchase price Capt 1r iv on Christmas DlrlcklneckHohon field has also been acting as agent of the Danish Government All accounts agree that Denmark is very anxious to get rid of her West Indian possessions Mr Rogers and Capt Christmas having quarreled and the former having declared that It was in his power to defeat any negotia ions that did not recognize his rights as agent Capt Christmas advised Secretary Sec-retary Hay of a plan to exchange tho Islands with Gemianj for territory In Europe He states that unless Congress Con-gress acts on the Danish Vest India islands 1 matter before June 1 a scheme will be carried out to exchange the Islands with Germany for the whole 01 a part of North Schleuwlg which with Holstein was taken from Den mark by Germany in 1SC7 and which country It has always been the fondest hope of all Danes to recover The sudden appearance In this coun try of Secretary White of the American Ameri-can Embassy In London has also to 10 with this matter of the sale of the Danish West India Islands ac cording to the Times Mr i White was the agent of the United States In Den marl puring the negotiations and to him the Danish Government named the price it wanted for the Islands between 3000000 and 1000000 Mr White It Is said failed to tell the State department J that the United States would have to buy the Islands during this session of Congress or abandon all hope forever of getting possession of them and that ho also did not impress upon the Stale de partment the fact that failing the ne gotiation with the United States Germany Ger-many was sure to got possession of the Islands either through cession or lease It Is to make these matters more clear to the State department while Congress Is still In session that Mr White was summoned hero |