TERRITORIAL GAINS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 132, 1 December 1938, Page 26

TERRITORIAL GAINS

PLUNDER AND PURCHASE

REVOLUTION FOR A CANAL

AMERICAN EVENTS

The annexation of part of the territory of a neighbouring State, such as Germany has carried out in Czechoslovakia, is no new thing in European history, says a writer in the Melbourne; "Age." In 1908 Austria-Hungary brought Europe to the verge of war by her annexation of the Turkish provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. For thirty years previous to the annexation Austria-Hungary had administered these two provinces under the terms of the Berlin Treaty, which was drawn up after the Russo-Turkish War. The object of placing these two Turkish provinces under the administration of Austria-Hungary was to prevent Turkey losing any more territory than the issue of the unsuccessful war against Russia made absolutely inevitable. This was not due to any affection for Turkey on the part of European Powers which participated in the treaty, but to prevent Russia obtaining substantial gains by the spoliation of Turkey. The treaty placed no time limit on the occupation of the provinces by Austria-Hungary, and though they remained part of the territorial possessions of the Sultan of Turkey, they became in almost every respect an integral part of AustriaHungary. REASONS BEHIND IT. The annexation, of the provinces in 1908 was prompted by the determination of Austria-Hungary .to strike a blow at the aspirations of the Southern Slavs for unity. Six years latei* the antagonism to Austrian rule was re- j sponsible for a tragedy at Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, which started the World War of 1914-18. On June j 28, 1914, the heir-apparent to the thrones of the dual monarchy of Aus-tria-Hungary, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and his morganatic wife, the Duchess of Hohenberg, were killed by an assassin when they were driving to the railway station after a formal welcome at the Town Hall by the Mayor. The annexation of Texas by the United States in 1845 had some features resembling those which have brought about the annexation of part of Czechoslovakia by Germany. Originally Texas enjoyed a separate administration under Spanish rule. When Mexico broke away from Spain and declared her independence, the Mexican Constituent Assembly adopted a Federal Constitution which included Texas. The white population of Texas was so small at the time that the territory was joined with a southern province to constitute a S+ate within the Federal Union of Mexico. Meanwhile a citizen of the United States named Austin, and his son, had obtained concessions of land in Teslas, and had settled there immigrants from the United States. A succession of revolutions in Mexico inflicted a long period of misgovernment on the country, from which the settlers in Texas suffered. ABOLITION OF SLAVERY. They were also irritated by the abolition of slavery in Mexico in 1829, and in practice they defied this decree. In 1835 a revolution in Mexico, headed by Santa Anna, resulted in the establishment of a Government which abolished the Federal Constitution, and proclaimed Mexico a unitary State. A revolt in Texas against Santa Anna's Government resulted in the establishment of a republic in Texas, and the Texans maintained their independence by defeating the ragged Mexican army sent against them. The Government of the United States had been watching events in Texas with a sympathetic eye, partly on account of the fact that a number of American citizens were settled there. In 1837 the Texans presented a petition to the Congress of the United States, pleading for annexation of the Texan Republic. Annexation was opposed by Great Britain, France, and other European Powers. Hostile American critics imputed to them the intention of trying to make Texas the nucleus of a great new State, including Arizona, New Mexico, and California, which would act as a counterweight to the United States. But in 1845 Texas entered the Union of the United States without forcible opposition from Mexico, or any other country. In the following year a dispute between the United States and Mexico regarding the boundaries of Texas led to a war between these two countries. THE PANAMA CANAL. The most remarkable case within the present century of a country being deprived of part of its territory arose in connection with the project to construct a canal through the Isthmus of Panama. The isthmus was part of the territory of the Republic of Colombia, and negotiations were opened with that country by the United States for the concession of territory which would enable the canal to be made. Such a waterway connect- ! ing the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans could not fail to be of great benefit to the world's shipping, but it would be of much greater benefit to the United States than any other country, for it would provide a connecting link with her Atlantic and Pacific seaboards. In the event of the United States being engaged in a war with Japan it would enable the United States to concentrate her naval strength in the Pacific at comparatively short notice. When the late Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States overtures were made to Colombia to j sell to the United States a strip of land necessary for the construction of a canal; and a draft treaty was signed by the two countries in January, 1903. But the Government of Colombia, with the object of exacting better terms from the United States, delayed ratification of the treaty. "Those contemptible little creatures in Bogota (the capital of Colombia) ought to understand how much they are jeopardising things and imperilling their own future," wrote President Roosevelt to his Secretary of State. PATIENCE EXHAUSTED. The patience of the impetuous President was soon exhausted by the tactics of Colombia, and he adopted a very drastic method of outwitting the Government of that country. With the secret aid of American money, and the connivance of President Roosevelt, a revolution broke out in Panama in November, 1903, and Panama was proclaimed an independent Republic. American naval vessels put in an opportune appearance off Colon and Panama City to intimidate Colombia, and American marines were landed to prevent Colombian troops operating against the revolutionaries. The revolution was therefore successful without bloodshed. The new Republic of Panama was formally recognised by the Government of the United States seventy-five minutes after an official message from the Republic reached Washington reporting its existence. Four days later representatives of the Government of Panama arrived at Washington to negotiate a treaty for the construction of the canal by America. The treaty

provided for the payment of 10,000,000 dollars (£2,000,000) in cash to Panama, and an annual rental of 250,000 dollars (£50,000). The negotiations were carried out with such expedition that years afterwards, when Mr. Roosevelt was no longer President, he was able to boast in a public speech: "I took Panama, and left Congress to debaie, and while the debate goes on the canal does also." But when Mr. Woodrow Wilson became President his conscience troubled him over the way Colombia had been deprived of part of her territory, and robbed of an annual rental from the canal. He was instrumental in getting Congress ,„ to vote Colombia a sum of 25,000,000 dollars (£5,000,000) as compensation. Mr. Roosevelt was furious over this payment, but he was powerless to prevent it. TERRITORIES PURCHASED. On several occasions the United States has increased her territory by purchase. In 1803 she purchased' the State of Louisiana from Napoleon for 80,000,000 francs (£3,500,000). Louisiana, which included the territory at the mouth of the Mississippi and thereby provided an outlet to the sea for a vast area of country on both sides of that great river, was indispensable to the development of the United States. It originally belonged to Spain, but in 1800 Napoleon forced Spain to exchange it for the Italian kingdom of Etruria. It ; was the intention of Napoleon to use Louisiana in a policy of encircling the United States, and "shutting up the Americans within the limits which nature seems to have traced out for them." But he had too many commitments in Europe to develop this plan, and when he saw that a renewal of hostilities with Great Britain was inevitable, he realised that Great Britain, with her command of the sea, would probably seize Louisiana. In order to prevent this territory falling into the hands qf Great Britain he sold it to the United States. . In 1867 the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for 7,200,000 gold dollars. The object of the purchase was to prevent a European Power maintaining a foothold in North America, but the transaction had not the support of American opinion behind it. The purchase was derided as throwing money away on a mass of rock and ice; but the fishing in ' the waters off Alaska was valuable, and the discovery of gold there in 1896 made the deal a profitable one for the United States. The output of the fisheries .and mines has exceeded the purchase price of the territory more than a. hundred-fold. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS. At the time of the purchase of Alaska the United States made overtures to Denmark for the purchase of the West Indian Islands of St. Thomas and St. John, which belong to the Virgin group. St. Thomas, whose area is only 32 square mile§. has a splendid harbour, and the United States Navy Department wanted possession of the island in order to establish a coaling station there. Denmark insisted on a plebiscite of the inhabitants of the islands, most 6*f whom are descendants of negro slaves. The vote was almost unanimously in favour of secession, but the United States Senate refused to ratify the agreement, which provided for a payment of 7,500,000 dollars to Denmark. In 1901 negotiations for the purchase of the two islands were renewed, and terms were agreed upon by the two Governments, but this time the Danish Parliament refused to ratify the agreement. After the outbreak of the World War the United States, fearing that Germany might purchase the islands, approached Denmark a third time, and on this occasion the purchase was carried out, after a plebiscite had been taken, not in the islands, but in Denmark itself. The three islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix were acquired by the United States on payment of 25,000,000 dollars (£5,000,000). These islands are administered by the United States Navy Department, and consequently the inhabitants do not possess the full status of United States citizenship.