er, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations (as
in the case of the Santo Domingo treaty), opposed its ratification
by the Senate, and it was defeated.

President Grant showed a far-sighted policy in favoring the
acquisition of every foot of territory which we could secure in
the West Indies. The Danish islands are of great importance to
the United States in a strategic way, whether the strategy be
military or commercial. St. Thomas is the natural point of call
for all European trade bound for the West Indies, Central America,
or Northern South America. These islands, together with Porto
Rico, occupy the north-eastern corner of the Caribbean Sea; and
they are of more importance now than ever, because of the fact that
we are constructing the Isthmian canal. In view of that canal,
and the European settlements in South America, every additional
acquisition by the United States in the West Indies is invaluable.
Porto Rico is difficult of defense. The harbors are poor, while
the harbor in the Island of St. Thomas can be made one of the very
best in the West Indies. Our own officers who investigated the
subject reported that the Island of St. Thomas possesses all the
natural advantages of a second Gibraltar.

The Danish Parliament, after a long debate, declined to ratify the
treaty of 1901 which had been ratified by the Senate, and for the
present at least the subject is in abeyance.

I still hope, before I shall retire from the Committee on Foreign
Relations, that the United States may succeed in purchasing these
valuable islands.

During the Winter of 1906 there occurred in the Senate a very
interesting debate over the appointment of representatives of the
United States to participate in the so-called Algeciras Conference,
held in Algeciras in 1905 to consider conditions in Morocco. No
action was taken by the Senate, and in due course the act or treaty
agreed to at that conference was submitted to the Senate for
ratification.

I do not think there can be the slightest doubt that President
Roosevelt had full authority to appoint the delegates on the part
of the United States, and that he was thoroughly justified in
contending that it was not only the right but the duty of the United
States to participate in this conference. The action of the
President in accepting the invitation to the conference and appointing
the delegates, and the very important part therein which he took
personally, in addition to t