The Danish Minister to the Secretary of State
Washington, January 7, 1902.
Mr. Secretary of State: His excellency the Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs having received the text of a treaty for the cession of the Danish West India Islands to the United States, upon which your excellency and I have agreed, has been pleased to inform me that, with the slight modification of two words of Article VII, to which your excellency willingly consented orally on December 19, this text has in every respect been found to correspond to the latest instructions and expectations of the Danish Government.
While having a most earnest desire to be able to cede the islands on the conditions thus agreed upon, the Danish Government finds itself confronted with a situation, which renders it absolutely necessary [Page 508] that some arrangement should be made in regard to the taking of a popular vote in the islands with a view to ascertain the wishes of the inhabitants concerning a transfer to the sovereignty of the United States.
This situation is created by the sentiment of the majority of the members of the Danish Congress, or Rigsdag, as well as by the sentiment of the Danish people at large, in both of which the Danish Government has met with a strong demand for the taking of a vote in the islands before any cession takes place.
This demand, I feel sure, will not surprise your excellency considering that it is in harmony with true democratic principles, and considering also the history of the cession to foreign powers of certain parts of Denmark, to which I had occasion to allude during a recent conversation with your excellency.
I am therefore instructed to submit for your excellency’s consideration the following alternatives:
- 1.
- Will the United States Government agree to insert in Article I of the present convention a clause similar to the provision in Article I of our Convention of October 24, 1867, concerning a vote in the islands?
- 2.
- If not, will the United States Government agree to make a special arrangement by a note with the Danish Government concerning the taking of a vote?
- 3.
- If not willing to this either, will the United States Government agree to leave the taking of the vote entirely to the Danish Government?
In case our two Governments should agree to have a vote taken in the islands, this vote could take place in accordance with certain specified rules to be adopted by both Governments, and the Danish Government would on this point gladly conform to the wishes of the United States Government, provided that proper measures were also concerted in regard to insure the liberty and safety of the vote.
The vote in the islands should take place as soon as the ratification of the convention shall have been advised by the United States Senate.
Hoping that your excellency may find in this communication from my Government a base for a prompt agreement on the point in question, I have [etc.]