UNCLE SAM, BARGAIN-HUNTER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 166, 4 July 1908, Page 4

UNCLE SAM, BARGAIN-HUNTER.

tSTTbig powers know huw to get value fok moke*.

The maligned ladies who are fun of in the comic papers, because oi llieir fondness for frequenting sales where everything is to be disposed of :\t «'i immense aacriliee. are in very good vOiupany. Some of the biggest Powers in the world have been keen bargain-liil"*-The United States, for instance, easily lakes hist place where big transaction? aie concerned. Our Yankee cousins have\ bought more land for hard cash than any other nation. Private speculations have been quite outdone. America's lirst bargain in tins direction consisted of the purchase of a whole state, out and out.

Some people suppose that England was the only country which had any settlement in North America when the war of Independence broke out. This was not so, however. England held only thirteen lof the Stales which at present'form the i Union. Spain possessed Louisiana and ! Florida. The 'Redskins had the rest. Napuleuii forced Spain to cede Louisiana to him. Hut he could not send 'ithcr warships or soldiers to protect it, mil he saw that if was practically cer■lain to fall info the hands of England unless he did something. So, in 18(13, he offered to sell if ('„ the Yankees. They proinpllv accepted it. and paid him £2,150,000 "cash down" for it. They made a splendid bargain, for Louisiana could not be purchased now for lifty times the sum given. Besides, if the State still belonged to France, the United States would' be in exactly the same position as we are in India—as we have to keep up a great army to defend the Indian frontier, so the Americans would be compelled to spend millions of doflars yearly on an ( arniy capable of defending her frontier 'against possible trouble with her French neighbours. Uncle Sam's next bargain was the biggest on record. Alaska is a vast tract of country, 580,107 square miles in extent—more than four times as large as Great Britain and Ireland. For a long time it belonged to Russia: but it was never much good to the Muscovites, an.l in 1807 the Tsar let it Ire known that it was in the market.

Great Britain could have had it, but refused to bid. The United States snapped it up for £1,450,000. They got it cheap, paying less than £3 a square mile.

Up to now, it must be admitted, Alaska has not paid, for it is mostly a desert of ice and snow. But, it is full of possibilities. It contains the Yukon region next door to our Klo'mlyke, so that there is a possibility of millions of gohl coming out of it yet. Also the country is J'trirly rich in seals.

The -IJrilted Stales also purchased the Philippines and Porto Rico, paving C4,01)0,n0t) for them. Altogether, therefore. Uncle Bam has purchased nearly tliree-uuarlcrs of a million square miles. Although (here is no record of Britain buying big tracts of territory for cash, she has done a little bargaining. In IB7S the Sultan of Turkey was in deadly four of being attacked by Russia. Creat Britain agreed, if certain circumstances arose, to fight for him. In return hi, 1 handed over the island of Cyprus. Nominally, the island was to form a base for British troops, so that they could he more easily sent to the Sultan's assistance, if needed, but its transference practically amounted to payment in advance for the promised help.

The "certain circumstances" have not yet arisen, and we have not fought Russia or any other country on Turkey's behalf. So Cyprus is not yet paid for.

The British (lovcrnuient holds the record of having paid the highest price ever given by a nation for a picture. This was £70,8110 given to the late Duke of Marlborough, ill 18S5, for the " Ansidci Madonna." by Raphael. When his (trace ottered the picture for sale every art gallery in the world was anxious lo buy, but Britain outbid them all. Another good liargain was made by Croat Britain in 1875. The Suez Canal, which, as everybody knows, is the short cut to the East, was constructed by a Preach company founded by Do T/'ssops, Ihc sluires of which were held by pretty well all the Powers. Britain, though the nation most interested in the canal, had at first no real control over the management. In time of war it might even have been closed to her warships anil opened to an eneniv. But the largest shareholder was Ismail the Khedive of Egypt, hi 1875 he was on the brink of bankruptcy, and ottered his shares, numbering 17(i.(K12. for sal-. (ierinanv ami France would gladly have bought Uieiu. bul they were forestalled by i-ord lieaeoiislield. who snapped (hem up at a total cost of .t-1,0i«,1i22.

This made Creat. Britain the chief shareholder, and gave her a controlling voice in the great waterway.