File No. 711.5914/190a
The Secretary of State to the President
The President: The undersigned, the Secretary of State, has the honor to transmit herewith a copy of the English text of a convention between the United States and Denmark, signed at the City of New York, August 4, 1916, together with copies of the notes exchanged between the High Contracting Parties in pursuance of the Senate Resolution of September 9, 1916, giving the advice and consent of that body to the ratification of the Convention. The exchange of the ratifications of the Convention took place on January 17, 1917, and the Convention is, therefore, now in force as a mutually binding obligation between the two countries concerned. By Article 1 of this Convention, Denmark cedes to the United States, in return for a money payment, all territory, dominion, and sovereignty of Denmark in the West Indies, including the islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix, together with the adjacent islands and rocks. The succeeding articles specify in detail certain terms and conditions regarding the cession. By Article 5 the United States, in full consideration of the cession, agrees to pay within ninety days from the date of exchange of the ratifications, in the City of Washington, to the diplomatic representative or other agent of Denmark duly authorized to receive the money, the sum of twenty-five million dollars in gold coin of the United States. This amount is therefore due from the United States to Denmark within the period ending April 17th next.
This convention is responsive to the conviction of both governments, as well as of the people of the islands, that the Danish West Indies should belong to the United States. This conviction, as is well known, has been manifested in earlier treaties for the transfer of these islands to the United States. Without entering upon any extended historical review of the negotiations of these earlier treaties, it may be pointed out that the first negotiations for the purchase of the islands were initiated by Secretary Seward during the administration of President Lincoln, and before the close of the Civil War, [Page 693] culminating in the convention signed at Copenhagen, October 24, 1867, during the administration of President Johnson, for the cession of the Islands of St. Thomas, and St. John. It is the opinion of students of the subject that this convention was brought about through the conviction of the United States gained by its naval operations during the Civil War, of the need of a naval coaling, supply, and repair station in the Caribbean Sea, in order that the United States might be placed on a footing with other great powers owning islands in those waters. This conviction, no doubt, was strengthened by the fact that the United States emerged from that war as a maritime power, to whom a good harbor and depot in the West Indies had become a matter of so great importance, if not of necessity, that the United States could not wish to see the Danish West Indies fall into the hands of another power.
Although the plebiscite in St. Thomas and St. John, held under the Treaty of 1867, was overwhelmingly in favor of the cession, and the treaty was promptly approved by the Danish Rigsdag, and ratified and signed by the King, and although the period for ratification was extended from time to time to April 14, 1870, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations took no action until March 24, 1870, when Senator Sumner reported it adversely, and the Senate acquiesced in that opinion.
Prior to the Spanish War, overtures were again made for the cession of the islands—this time initiated by the Danish Government. During the Spanish War the question of the purchase of the islands was further agitated. Concurrently with the discussion of the Isthmian Canal and the protection of the islands obtained from Spain, a second treaty for the purchase of the Danish West Indies was signed at Washington, January 24, 1902. In reporting this treaty favorably to the Senate, Senator Cullom, of the Committee on Foreign Relations, stated:
These islands, together with Porto Rico, are of great importance in a strategic way, whether the strategy be military or commercial. St. Thomas is the natural point of call for all European trade bound to the West Indies, Central America, or northern South America. These islands, together with Porto Rico, form the northeastern corner of the Caribbean Sea and are of great importance in connection with the American isthmus, where a canal will be constructed between the Atlantic and Pacific. They are of first importance in connection with our relations to the region of the Orinoco and the Amazon and with our control of the Windward Passage.
The treaty was approved by the United States Senate February 17, 1902, but failed of ratification, by a tie vote, in the upper house of the Danish Rigsdag.
All of the reasons upon which the two prior treaties were based, whether strategic, economic, or political, are of more force today than in previous years. There can be no question as to the value of St. Thomas harbor as a naval port, with its circular configuration, ample roadsteads, protection from prevailing winds and seas, and facilities for fortifications. Moreover, the advantages of the possession of a naval base off the entrance of the Panama Canal, and near the Island of Porto Rico, are self-evident.
The commercial value of the islands cannot be doubted. Lying in close proximity to many of the passages into the Caribbean Sea, the use of St. Thomas harbor as a supply station for merchant ships plying between the United States and South America, and for vessels [Page 694] in other trades, is of great importance. The existing modern harbor works, floating docks, marine slip and wharves, provided with electric cranes, oil-reservoirs, coal-depots, fresh-water tanks, machine shops and warehouses, contribute to the commercial advantages of St. Thomas Harbor as a port of call and transshipment for ships in the Central and South American trades.
The political importance of extending American jurisdiction over the islands is not to be overlooked. The Caribbean is within the peculiar sphere of influence of the United States, especially since the completion of the Panama Canal, and the possibility of a change of sovereignty of any of the islands now under foreign jurisdiction is of grave concern to the United States. Moreover, the Monroe Doctrine, a settled national policy of the United States, would have caused this country to look with disfavor upon the transfer of sovereignty of the Danish West Indies to any other European nation.
In view of these considerations, the treaty of cession of these islands to the United States is a matter of no small moment to this country. I do not hesitate, therefore, to recommend that the Congress be urged to take action during the present session to enable this Government to discharge its conventional obligation to Denmark by the payment to the Government of Denmark of the sum of $25,000,000 by April 17th next.
Washington , January 22, 1917.