SELL THE WEST INDIES

Hokitika Guardian, 25 February 1932, Page 8

SELL THE WEST INDIES

U.S.A. PROPOSAL FOR SQUARING BRITAIN’S WAR DEBTS. Tile United States are alter Britain's colonies It. has lieen proposed in nil seriousness that Britain and France should turn over their possessions in the West Indies to America in return Jor cancellation ol' their war debts. The scheme was suggested bv .Mr Lewis T. McKadd'en, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, in a debate on reparations. Mr McFadden’s theory was that, the West Indian archipelago, which stretches in an arc from Florida, in Xorth America, to Yucatan, in South America, -is practically useless to Britain ami I'Yancc from the point ol view of naval liases since the possibility of war with the I’nited States j is so remote as lu be completely dis- j counted. j Our possessions include I lie Ba- j liamas, Jamaica. Turks Island, tin* Virgin Island. St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Dominica, the Barbados. Si. Lucia, Si. Vincent. Grenada, Trinidad, and Tobago The French possessions arc Gmnl"loiipe, Martinique, ami part ol' SI. .Martin. America has long ooveied tlm West , Indies heeause of I he tremendous sugar, fruit, cotton, cocoa, and tobacco trade that is carried oil there !| is from the standpoint of national deietee. however, thal the gre*(.es| inleresl is, manifested. j The situation ol I lie islands gives | tbem practically coni ml of entrance In j the great Gulf of .Mexico, including lie | B inama Canal. j Not the least of A met ii a's desire , | too, is to put an end to the great illn n j liquor trade winch emanates Imm id h ‘ / inlands. I