Consul Payne to the Third Assistant Secretary of State
St. Thomas, D. W. I, June 5, 1905.
Sir: The Hamburg American Steamship Company, which has the largest and best equipped station, here, seems to [be] gradually absorbing every possible shipping and transporting interest in this port and harbor. Within the last few months, it has, to all appearances, absorbed a Danish Ship Company known as the West India Company, Limited. This was accomplished through the East Asiatic Company. The Hamburg American Company has a coal dock, and warehouse capacity far exceeding any other in this port, in addition to this, there is being constructed a coal dock of large capacity by the East Asiatic Company. This work was begun by the West India Company, Limited and was turned over to the East Asiatic Co. by the West India Co., together with its ships and other interests. The management and control of the ships was then placed in the hands of the Hamburg American Company by the East Asiatic Company while the new coal wharf remains, nominally, in the hands of the East Asiatic Company. The general impression is that the Hamburg American Company which, is of course German, is interested in this wharf enterprise also. Another thing which seems exceedingly strange, is the appointment of Captain Sönderhoff, a German, and as I am informed not even a burgher here, a Crown member of the colonial council, the peculiarity of this appointment is more apparent when it is remembered that he, Sönderhoff, is Consul of the German Empire, and in that capacity represents every interest of that Government, and is also superintendent of the Hamburg American Company here, and was appointed to the position of Crown member of the colonial council by King Christian of Denmark. This colonial council together with the colonial governor has charge of the administration of the government of this island and the Island of St. Jans. So that Captain Sönderhoff, a German citizen and, representing his Government here and also the superintendent of the great Hamburg American Steamship Company’s interests, is made a part of the Danish Government in the Danish West Indies. All of these things together with the fulsome favors constantly shown the German naval people during the long stays made here each year by their warships, cause one to wonder what next. I send herewith enclosed a marked copy of a newspaper8 published here in which an article appears, containing views which will probably give additional light upon matters referred to in this despatch.
The reference made in the article to German acquisition of foothold under a “Danish make-believe” simply expresses views had here, in, probably, a more pronounced form than in St. Lucia.
I am [etc.]
- Not printed.↩