File No. 711.5914/32

Minister Egan to the Secretary of State

No. 870

Sir: Replying to the Department’s telegram No. 37 of August 10, 11 a.m., I have the honor to report that I saw Mr. Erik de Scavenius, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the earliest opportunity [Page 594] which was today, August 18th. Mr. Scavenius and I had had several rather academic conversations regarding the sale of the Danish West Indies to the United States and it was not difficult to open the question. I told him that I should consider our talk confidential, so far as outside persons were concerned, but that I would communicate anything he said to my Government. I then asked him whether he still believed it would be well for Denmark to cede the Danish West Indies to the United States. He said that he had always believed so and that he believed so now; but that this was his personal opinion and that he had not yet discovered the views of his colleagues in the Ministry or of the public in this matter. I then asked him whether he thought that the present moment was propitious for the raising of the question. He said that it was his personal opinion that it would be a rather delicate matter to entertain a proposition for the sale of the islands while the present war was going on, but that the opinion of his colleagues and the public generally might be sounded on the subject. I answered that I thought the failure of the attempt made in the summer of 1912 to induce the Danish people to supply funds for the improving of the harbor of St. Thomas by appealing to their patriotism showed that the public was indifferent to the destiny of the islands. Mr. de Scavenius admitted with certain reservations the probable truth of this deduction. He added that if any proposition worthy of the reputation of the United States for largeness of views and for generosity were made, it would probably be seriously considered. I asked him what he meant by largeness of views and generosity as applied to the purchase of the islands. He said that the previous experience of Denmark in her relations with the United States in regard to the sale of the islands had been so unfortunate, owing, he thought to a misunderstanding on both sides, that the prestige of both countries demanded that the United States should not propose pecuniary terms which would lead to haggling or fail to give guarantees which would effect the kind treatment of the present inhabitants, principally negroes. I answered that as to the first, the United States was not in the habit of buying anything because it was cheap, but because it felt the need of possessing it, that he was right in presuming that if my Government made any proposition it would be both generous and just, and as to the treatment of the negroes, it seemed to me we understood the character of the colored people and the way of making them content better than the Europeans. He was very polite, but he hesitated before agreeing with me. He repeated that what he meant by large-mindedness was that we should give Denmark an assurance that the negro population was to be treated in the most kindly and liberal way. I answered that the United States could not show a greater confidence in its colored population than by giving it the right of suffrage which the Danes in the West Indies had not yet seen their way to doing. He said too that Europeans were probably wrong in forming their opinions of our treatment of the colored population in the United States owing to their ignorance of conditions in the United States, that he felt the greatest confidence in the principles of humanity which must actuate a great nation like ours. He reiterated the statement that in view of past negotiations for the islands, which had not reflected credit on either country, Denmark could not [Page 595] make an offer of the islands to us, but that he was reasonably certain, though he spoke only personally, that if a suitable offer was made it would be seriously considered.

He also spoke of the probable opposition to the project. I said that I anticipated no real opposition except perhaps from my friend Admiral Richelieu and the East Asiatic Company, who, divorcing themselves from any pecuniary connection with the Danish Government, had undertaken to complete the improvements to the harbor. In my opinion many of the business men who opposed the sale of the islands in 1902 felt now that owing to the failures in Santa Cruz and the comatose condition of affairs in St. Thomas that there was no chance of making the islands pay under the present régime; I assumed too that my Government would so safeguard the rights and investments of the East Asiatic Company, etc., that these interests would be only too glad to profit by the increased prosperity which the possession of the islands by the United States would bring about.

I have [etc.]

Maurice Francis Egan