| Show THE DANISH WEST INDIES oj I How the People of the Islands View a Change of Ownership DONT tOll foil Americans think It IIi mutters much Just how i Wo V West We t Indians view a I transfer of authority and territory ns be Nw reon en Denmark and nn the United Statin hut but at least you will allow that being human we wo naturally feel Ilko something Whether our prospects pros are to be improved or not and to tell the tho truth they tho ap appear apPO pear PO f much lire are anxious to have a n voice In the lUer Wo have not so much to the th transfer aa M to being transferred tran like dumb cattle as though our opinions were not lIot worth considering There Thele Is IR no doubt In III the tha world ns as to how tho majority will vote voto should It come to a n plebiscite for tor to be frank our very ver existence depends upon annexation by hy or connection of somo sort with the United States You may have read real In the press preas a u afew few weeks ago that tho people over in Santa Cruz forty miles south of St StThomas Thomas hold n II grand Indignation meeting and aud declared their continued loyalty to old King Christian and the thu Danish government but did you OU notice the little Joker appended to those resolutions re to the effect that they hoped prayed for tor better bet r treatment In th thA future Tho resolution were In the tho nature of ot an 1111 entreaty a threat In fact the knew what they thO were about abOl They TIley were mainly of the holding class with witha a prospective VEl loss of o Jobs j ll should the UIA be ho transferred to the United States Stute The situation I II Just j IR Island have hae been under Danish control for far many many year and nil the aro filled by Dane Danell but the tho commerce COlli more of the group 1 III mainly with the United States and English Is the language we all 1111 speak It Jl was only by accident that Denmark gained possession of the Is Islands Islands lands now known as the Went We t tInd Indict Ind and they have maintained their hold not nol only because no other nation wanted them but through n mistaken sense lens of or loyalty on the part of ot the In Inhabitants habitants Intrinsically they are practically valueless lull strategically they thoy are aru of great creal value t uny power which like the United States Is contiguous and has ha a II large navy which must mUll de depend depend pend in time ot of war upon Its coaling stations The only Island raising anything of ot consequence Is IR Santa Cruz and that produces sugar lU ar with rum rUin as liS a 11 byproduct St John yields soma loma sugar R coffee o and bay while St Thomas waa long ngo exhausted und produces no agricultural staple whatever Its sell li n Is worn out what the hurricanes blown Into the sea and must most of ot Its lI commerce has hils long depart departed ed But Dut It has ns as you know ono one valuable ble possession In tho harbor of Its chief and ond only town Charlotte Amalla which nil all naval experts have pronounced ed ell one of the In III the world u It happens that neither of the near Is lands Porto HIco lUco or has Ims no good a II harbor as OR ours combining all the thu advantages of narrow entrance deep water and facilities for or defense And as to natural beauty why there thel In where ve e can lun beat the world rom whatever point you may View these Is lit Island land they ore are perfect gems gem I and In sa salubrity salubrity of climate again we cnn can chilI chal lenge lengo comparison with any tiny section of the globe Having resided d In the Islands for or many years cars I have grown to love loe them to bo he sure but my lIy liking for tor them th does not blind mo to Ih heir lri defects As winter resorts resort for o tho United States they pos possess sess attractions unsurpassed In beautiful ful ul scenery delightful climate snowy sand benches beaches grounds spicy woods and fragrant Holds There Is la no lovelier Island for tor example than the tho little St John only sixteen square miles In area and with less than 1000 Inhabitants I have hunted there thero fre tre frequently and can say Iny It I Is ono of the tho most attractive places I 1 ever visited d dAnd And again it has In Coral bay a aline line to of Charlotte Amalla A And yet et It is b al 01 almost most unknown to the world nt at large I dont suppose there Is a n single hut hul on Its shores let lei atone alone a n house hOIle and this great gloal body of ot water la III actually going to waste for tOI lack Illek of appreciation by some Bome nation with a n navy MV The scenes that greet one as IlA he walks about aboul this Island of Bt St Thomas are really pitiful The fhe country district Is 19 practically p desolate the once prosper prosperous ous plantation are 1110 abandoned Charlotte Amalia Itself once onoe one of the tho most ports In the Went In Indies dies Iles Is II perishing of dry rot I havo talk talked ed with men who have Keen Spanish dollar wheeled through till the streets by tile barrow lend land and who recall times When hen nl nil the Warehouse were bursting with the product ot of every neti dime clime One ran Inn live here cheaply enough If that U I all for or canned rannel provision lona and drinka drinkables bles ble moli aa wines und ott about half of oC what they are In the Clothing of all 1111 orts carts espe especially It If made to order from the finest Onest Imported woolens ran can be he had lind for or next to nothing And yet y t at lit the same time the rich arc 1111 growing poorer and the th poor many of o them are on the verge of starvation stems Incredible In a aland land where the sun shines all the time and anything In the fruit and vegetable line oan be produced by ly Iy sticking the needs eeds Into the ground Hut the fact cannot be gainsaid that thal tho commerce which was at one time fir of ot St Thomas has deported departed Now Noll ns to the people there are of oCus us holding altogether only HO miles of territory The fhe hulk bulk ot the Is la concentrated In III the tho towns such ns Charlotte Amalla with at l ast 2000 out of this islands total of and Fred absorbing moro than two thirds the population of Santa SantaCruz SantaCruz Cruz This Thill Is an nn unhealthy condition of course courle bU b Ut Jt People here are gregarious as s they are in the States and elsewhere and for various causes to the centers of population It ha has been easy then to obtain a consensus con of opinion as to the desire de for or annexation or absorption by Ly bythe Lythe the United States Siales HIco lUco has hos ex excited cited a n Jealous feeling here for as us she he has progressed we havo hao retrogressed And yet et we arc ure bound hand oat foot by Danish conservatism con These TheRe Islands annually cost Denmark more morA i ithan than they yield to her but the hulk bulk of the bill hili Is II for soldiers and officeholders Who will be promptly withdrawn a as soon as IlS Uncle Sam takes possession I Old Denmark herself her elf hall had n II rev revenue within half a million of expendi expenditure ture for or many year yeara streel full tull of o beggars and the or which she Is Enid to be Le getting for these Inlands wilt will be he bevery hever very ver acceptable She asked for tor St Thomas s and St John without Santa Cruz In when Secretary Seward practically closed n 1 bargain for 1 Tho Iho treaty tailed failed In tho sen senate ate ato through ugh the crustiness of Charles Sumner as liS is III now remembered her hen It 1 Is also Ilso recalled that the Inhabitants of these Islands had all voted to cut loose from King Christian King Edward of ot I Impecunious fa and to cast caal their lot with Uncle Sam nut Hut after they hall had dono donoso so and after tho old king sent us oft off with a IL tearful farewell having received ed cd an elegant and substantial testimonial nial deal toll foil through Denmark had to tako us back All this happened a II good generation ago but In tills Island a II little news lasts IlIst a long longtime longtime time and the humiliation of ot It alt all is wIll well remembered Hearing In mind these facts ono one may form to Im an nn accurate concept of the situa situation tion which Is this We aro oro of no uso to Denmark and nhe Bhe will be he very ur glad gIRd to get rid of us Denmark Is IB a clog upon I our prosperity a veritable old man of the sea an octopus which we would be glad to be rid of knowing as we do that our only deliverance lies lie through more connection tho United We have but one ne thing to of offer ofer fer er In return and that Is I our harbors harbor ns II coaling conr nc stations but these owing to situation are Invaluable Von our self appreciation and vanity ago you to lake lako u UM to 0 your utter we had hod of ot offered to come but wo not In a n po union lillion to nurse resentment and If It the high contracting have agreed to tho transfer as all U Is reported here you ou nay bet that Barkis Is You may hear reports demonstrations against the transfer and of If testimonials olov for or the good old king who will probably be treated to another royal gift of ot gold but In their hearts nil 1111 the th people are rejoicing over the tho prospective change chango It t cant be hp any Worse It may be he Improved Dut that IH 19 a II matter neither here nor there Com Compared pared with population of r the tho United States as liS a u cute Yankee skipper re remarked marked marRol to inc the other oilier day we lire are mighty small potatoes and Tow Jow In the hill hili HOWARD Jm AnD lf ANS Nb Charlotte Amalla St Thomas D W I |
