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Show Has Uncle Forgotten He Bought 'Em? TQ YOU remember that Uncle Snm J-' purchased of Denmark In 1917 for $25,000,000 the Virgin Islands, with ' an area of 142 square miles and a population of 20,051? Well, If you do, that's more than Uncle Sam does, according ac-cording to the Virgin Islanders. Anyway, a delegation of three from the Virgin Island- called at the White House recently and arranged for a conference, at which they hope to get the attention of this country directed i to the troubles of our newly-acquired Islands. The United States purchased the Islands In order to keep them from falling Into the hands of Germany. We placed a navy officer In charge, and seem to have all but forgotten the Islanders and their Islands. The delegates dele-gates who have come to get a hearing Insist that being under the Stars and Stripes la a hardship to them, Instead of a "privilege. Tbe original act of purchase provided pro-vided that all residents of the Islands would become citizens of tbe United States, unless they recorded thetr wish to remain Danish subjects. No provision pro-vision was made for natives of the Islands who previously had come to the United States or moved to other Islands In the West Indies. They are citizens of Denmark, under the present pres-ent program, if they are citizens of any country, which some among them seem to doubt They want that question ques-tion settled, so that those who wish, will be granted American citizenship. The political troubles of the Islanders Island-ers are not causing them half so much worry as are their economic difficulties, difficul-ties, largely the result of extending the eighteenth amendment to them. The manufacture of bay rum waa one of the foremost Industries of the la-lands la-lands under Danish rule. That has been killed under prohibition, as hat been the manufacture of rum. They complain that the enforcement of our shipping regulations operates to bar Spanish Tessels, and that the trade of the Islands has been crippled. |
