THE PHANTOM ISLAND.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 85, 10 April 1912, Page 3

THE PHANTOM ISLAND.

DIPLOMATIC WORLD UNEASY. '■ DENMARK'S~EWE LAMB. (From Our Own Correspondent). LONDON. Ist. March. I don't know • what the "International Organisation Potentia" is, but Sir Edward Durand. brother of a former British Minister at Washingkm> presided at the meeting which brought it before the public' "Potentia" is worried and anxious over th» future of Denmark's little ewe lamb, theieland of St. Thomas in the West Indies. St._ Thomas lies right at the bend' of the Antilles, near Porto Rico, and in the fairway between tho countries that matter in the Old World and the new gateway of the West, the Panama Canal. Well, it seems that a Bill 16 now in the Danish Parliament with the object of granting concessions to financiers to take over and greatly improve the harbour, at St. Thomas in view of the approaching importance of the place. For the trifling consideration of a third of tho harbour dues collected for ft period of ten years, the, Danish Government seems to ,be willing to grant, to these five financiers practically unlimited righte of lease and 6iib-louse over the two harbour* of St. Thomas and San Juan for a period of 99 years.- Tho harbour is to have a minimum depth of 9& metres, and will take with great comfort vessels of 15,000 tons. Bacius and docks are to be constructed capable of taking the largest vessels, and the wholo thing is to be for the exclusive use of the syndicate, which will also have the valuable sole right to furnish qlcctrio lighting and work telegraphs. It i« expected that the 20,000,000 .kroner which will' be lavished i on this undertaking will bo raised in Denmark, and "Potentia" warns th© world of the, possibilities. "To America the matter would bo of instant moment," says tho statement issued from the meeting, "for she could not afford in any eventuality to blink at the construction ,of a fine «a.val base within easy striking distance of tho*head of her Panama Canal and of her eastern seaboard, that mijrht at any moment pass out of the possession of a private syndi* cate into tho hands of a powerful rival, or that could be held in time of war by a minor neutral State. To England, again, any alteration in the tenure of these islands and any risk of the sale or srrant to a world power (other possibly I than a friendly America as the power vitally interested) of harbours which from their position would command the I trade route to the Panama Canal, and which might easily become a naval base of operations or a refuge^ for belligerent ships in war time, would be most unpalatable. To France or Germany or Russia it would .present like disadvantages." America, it seems, has twice endeavoured to purchase St. Thomas from Denmark. j j a DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION. j A Danish, journalist in London places (ho matter in a very different light., H> nays the concession luusps immediately thero is a uub-lenso, nnd that a majority of tho board must always hs Danish citizona. Tho Danish Government does not mtrrender State rights; it- is -the Colonial Council of St. Thomafl thai is a-»'«d to surrender si certain portion ol", the harbour for the purpose of extension. The ultimata object seems lobo th*> creation of a, "free harbour territory," an institution of which Hamburg gives an excellent ejmmple. toencourygo tho transhipment of goods within t>, certain port.