The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-07

wonder that their blackeri great grand
 mothers captivated the rough bucca- neers, or that intermarriages between
 the races are still common. To-day
 hardly fifteen per cent. of the popula-
 tion of these islands is white, and the
 'color line" is very lax, if drawn at all
 Some of the blacks are of a superior class, not only by reason of prepon-
 derance of white blood in their veins
 but because they have always enjoyed
 the same rights and privileges as the
 whites The descendants of the slaves are another class altogether, as differ ent as the Chinese cOolie is from
 mandarin. Even these are improving
 with every generation, education DelnS
 compulsory under Danish rule, the children of white and black going to school together. There is also no dls-
 tinction of color in the churches or Tn
 business circles. Danes and English
 men recognize a man for his Worth
 wealth and education, and never dream of excluding a neighbor from the same
 social, business or religious privileges
 they themselves enjoy on account or
 
 council of St Croix are two black men,
 and they fill their places with credit to
 themselves and to the satisfaction or
 their associates. Not a clergyman on
 the Hand ogjects to performing the marriage ceremony between black men
 and white women. There is property
 clause in the franchise restricting Vo-
 ters to citizens who own property, or
 have an annual income exceeding nVe
 hundred dollars. At present this glVes
 St. Thomas island less than two nun dred voters Denmark's standing
 army" in her western possessions con
 sists oe two hundred and fifty men,
 They are volunteers recruited from the
 veteran corps in the home country and
 sent to the island for term of SIX
 years They have guard and parrack
 duties to perform, but those who nave
 trades may work at them when not on
 duty;-therefore the Danish army Tn
 the West Indies looks more like shoe
 makers, brcklayers, etc, than soldiers When their term of service is over they
 receive free transportation home or II
 they desire to remain, are given posi-
 tions on the police force.
 As to the business possibilities Of
 these islands, under proper develop
 ment, they are practically unlimited
 Last year the imports of St. Thomas alone amounted to nearly seven hum dred and fifty thousand dollars, and
 those of St. Croix, the much larger but
 less populous island, about four hun
 dred and fifty thousand dollars They consist mainly of foods stuffs and man ufactures most of which ought to De produced on the spot. The exports have long been miscellaneous and shabby lot, hardly worth mentioning. Those from St. Thomas, amounting to about twenty-five thousand dollars per annum, go to the neighboring islands.
 St Croix sends two hundred and seven ty-five thousand dollars worth Cor thereabouts), of sugar and other tropl- cal products, chiefly to the United States. Little St. John C'JanH in Dan ish)-containing only twenty-one square miles and a population of one thousand-devotes itself to the raising of cattle. to supply passing vessels with fresh meat The whole island is graz ing land and all the inhabitants are black, except half dozen government
 officials There is 8 Danish judge, who fills several other important offices,
 such as chief of police, harhormaster, postmaster, customs officer and head of the truant school, sort of reform insti- tuition situated on the tiny island His police department consists of two memmbers besides himself. St. John is only twelve miles off the eastern end of
 St. Thomas-a pleasant half-hour's sail Profitable stock farms might be estab- lished here with small Investments; and the possibilities of fishing and of can ming establishments are great, The water about all these islands is fairly swarming with the best fish in the world, and is so clear that the bottom, | far below, may be seen at any point. At present almost no fishing is done l around St. John almost no gardens or 1 farms are cultivated, and the beautiful | harbor of Boral bay-one of the best 1 protected natural harbors in the West ! Indies, is very little used. Indeed, the
 world at large has hardly heard of it, l though it is second only to that of l Charlotte Amalia.
 FANNIE F, WARD.