The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-10-28
WAR EFFECT IN
WEST INDIES
The Bahamas For a Time APP
peared to Be Helpless as Re
suit of Great Conflict
LATER THEY RECOVER
Immediate Stop to Sponge
and Sisal Industries Cut
Incomes Of Sheer

NASSAU, Bahnma Islands, British
~ West Indies, oct 2S.-Though
property II part OF the British West
Indies, the bahama Islands have faced
problems peculiar 10 themselves as
result, Of lho European war. no'aDIl
the problem u providing their """
roodsuff "hnrpas, prior to the WNr'
they had relied almost entirely upon
imports
l'uihr tlr Islands Of the south the
Hnhnmas hn.. neither the soil nor the
climate Tor Dnn free growth OF trop
icg lult.. though some, ~ course
arc grown. The chief product mere
has been sponge und next to that ol
lntr year. NHul for fibre The grow
Ing Of other products has been small
mainly because $50 mnny Of the mhlc
population are engaged In the sponge
industry, hut there Is also this factor,
that the Islander. have an exceptional
tendency tp hug foreign or imported
food rather than accept the home
ElbNu III l'A|.I '|''Ii w lifll AAl' A'A'
ter nrc superior For instance, won.
cu and Nhi.drpu and some of the men
grow sisal fer fibre and clean IL by
hand, and spend the few cents they
have earned u rhI. lnborious under
taking In the purchase " foreign food
,any that pay duty of - per cent.
This tendency has been encouraged
and made the most n by the mer-
chants AS II increased their trade, and
also by the government as 1t gave
so much more revenue
Sponge Industry Stopped
In view ~ these facts, when the
war ln"Europc began the big sponge
export 10 England was entirely stop
ped and the fibre industry was also
hit hard. the Bahamas found them
selves IN the position II producing
practically nothing that was saleable
while, on the other hand, the price OF
imported food products that the peo-
pie had been relying on TO such an
extent. rapidly advanced.
The government In view I'm the de
creasing revenues decided 10 cut down
expenditures, but this took the form
Of suspcnding public works entirely
rather than making the slightest re-
trcnchmcnts In official salaries More
hardship was made for all classes
when the banks put up interest two
per cent. and with the governments
increase OF two per cent, In the tar
lff, there was such an effect az only
region so dependent on imports az
the Bahamas, could understand.
There was hope that the winter
tourist business would offset some a
the other losses. but after a consid-
erahlc expense IN putting hotels and
boarding houses in repair 1t was dis.
covered that instead OF increasing, the
/ tourist business also fell off.
Islanders DO Not Complain
Outside observers remarked that In
the face Of 10 much depression, the
uncomplainlng spirit with which the
islanders have faced the hardships
has been remarkable In addition TO
this. the people came forward with
generous contributions 10 various war
funds, and with a grant from the
treasury, some $4,000 was raised.
The women Of the Islands. have, after
year of work, not slackened In their
sewing for war purposes AS fur
ther indication OF patriotism in the
islands, there is now on foot move
ment to enlist, equip and train 100
men for service NJ the front
In respect 10 the local food prob
lem, It may be recalled that soon after
the war began the governor of the
islands called mass meeting at the
capital and advised the people 10 go
10 the soil and grow foodstuffs This
advice was 50 well taken that com
plaint Is heard from the merchants
that trade is dull that the people have
grown so much corn and other home
products that there ia now little sale
for Imports.