The Washington times., 1917-04-11
U. S. TRADE OUTLET
IN VIRGIN ISLANDS
National Bank of Commerce OF
New York Issues Booklet
on Opportunities.

NEW YORK, April 11.-Acting on
the theory that trade should follow
the flag, the National Bank of Com
merce has issued a booklet on oppor-
tunities for American business in the
Virgin Islands, Americas new posses
sion. Guy Emerson, one of the vice
presidents OF this bank. said the book
let represented only one of their ef-
forts to encourage and aid American
business in the Caribbean sea, the
Gulf Of Mexico, and the South At
lantic. B..
''The American people appear to re-
gard the Virgin Islands as valuable
to the United States principally for
strategic reasons" Mr. Emerson said.
Their commercial value even today Is
substantial and should not be over
locked. Right now there are markets
there for many American made COM
modities. The islands are worthy of
careful survey by American manu-
tacturers, who. I am sure, can work
up a good trade there.
1T would help materially, believe,
IL the Department of Agriculture
would send experts to the Virgin
Islands to study soil and production.
Agricultural methods there are 100
years behind the times. BY improving
tnese methods and improving crops
the Virgin Islands will add materially
to- the agricultural wealth of this ma
tion."
Limited Market Now.
Mr.. Emerson said that already there
was limited market in the Virgin
ISLANDS for American made cotton
goods and agricultural implements.
This market can be worked to con-
H10RTahla l.
best way to do il IL for American
manufacturers and merchants to get
into that field now, when the field is
open. The Virgin Islands are a part
or our country. We should handle
trade there with that always in view
Now Is the time to start"
The booklet Contains a short his
tory of the negotiations for the pur-
chase of these islands of Denmark.
The introduction Is taken from the
report OF Christopher H. Payne, Amer
lean consul at st, Thomas. on July Is,
1915, and says that "the opportunities
for the extension OF American trade
In this district were probably never
so good as now. for the conditions ex-
listing in other great manufacturing
countries have caused this field to
be left almost entirely free for Amer
ican manufacturers"
In its review of agriculture In the
islands the booklet says:
The only agriculture on ST. John
now consists in the raising OF bay
trees and lime trees. Modern agfi-
cultural implements cannot be used |
on st. John except in a few small |
valleys. On st. Thomas there is
scarcely an acre of level ground, con- |
sequently cultivation Is difficult. |
There is no agriculture at present /
and probably there never will be any |
except for local consumption.
st. CrOIx Island Cultivated.
"St Croix, on the other hand, 10 |
particularly adapted to agriculture. |
$4,000 acres are now |
under cultivation, 1900 in sugar.
2 900 In cotton, and 10000 in grass. |
impehee. and other fodder. Cotton
has been temporarily aban-
doned on account OF various difficult
war and the appearance of insect |
pests. BY allowing the fields to lie /
fallow II is believed that the next /
crop will be free from pests. Cotton
lint from st. CroiX has D-en 5hown /
to be OF high quality. The yield from
a four and one-half acre plot, where
careful records were kept, was 5,299 |
pounds of seed cotton and 20 per cent |
lint. Labor cost is from 81 u SIS an
acre.
Cattle raising is one of the princi' |
pal Industries of st. John
Limestone is found in many places, |
and, according to natives, there is
both copper and iron in the mountain |
ous sections. No record of any pros |
pecting has been found. There is
market for lime in st. Croix for use
in the sugar mills, but all Of ii Is i'm
ported.
Some manufacturing Is carried on
in each island in connection with the !
products. st. Thomas
produces bay rum, said to be the fin |
est in the world; st. Croix produces |
sugar, rum, and molasses, and st. |
John, bay oil. bay rum, concentrated |
lime juice. and some other lime tree |
products.
According to the reports of special !
3 Aants sent to the West Indies by the |
OF Foreign and Domestic Com |
merce, there are opportunities there |
for the sale OF American made shoes, |
electrical goods and textiles such as |
denims, sheetings. and ging- |
hams"