Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-21
Uncle Sam In The Caribbean
g. The Rule of The Danes
BIZ Frederic J. Haskin

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, D. w. l., March
1.-THE majority of the inhabitants OF these
islands look forward to the change OF SOW
and land owners foresee prosperity that
means almost certain wealth tor many OF
them And the people-the black majority
look confidently to the land of Lincoln and the
civil war for release from three centuries of
virtual bondage. As you pass along. the streets
every group discussing the change that is to come
over their island saying what a great nation is
the United States and Specializing as to what it
can do for them.
There is no class here which regrets the trans
fer except the little circle Of Danish officials, and
who have prohted by the present government.
The rule of the Danes here, according to we'll
authenticated reports, has been pleasant and affa-
Bile and corrupt 1t has been characterized by
much social display and official pomp, and by
system OF graft SO open and well known as to
seem almost innocent 1t is fact which any in
teliigent citizen can tell you that the Danish
Plantation company is the real government in St.
Croix, and the West India Trading company in
ST. Thomas; that the black men have practically
and road work is done by chain gangs which are
recruited by imposing long terms for such trivial
ofenses as swearing and petty larceny that there
is no accurate system OF accounting for appro-
priations; that the islands, in word, have been
used by the Danes as a bit OF political pie and
nothing more.
Any visitor may see for himself that the towns
have no water, light or sewage systems Water
is gotten from cisterns filled by draining the roofs
when i rains: The poor, who have only small
and lesky roofs, have to beg water from the we'll
to-do In Christiansted, the capital, there were
once thirty-four street lights, but seven of them
| got broken, and now there are only twenty-seven
| They do not cast any more radiance than FREELY
but they are visible at quite distance, and SO
stranger can get back to his hotel at night is
by counting the lights on his way out,
As for sanitation, it is nonexistent, and condi-
tons in the crowded poor quarters of the towns
are bad That there is comparatively little sick
ness seems to be due to the excellent climate, and
the fact that the negroes here are an extremely
Clearly people. Their rags are always carefully
Numbered. Your boatman gives you freshly
washed bit OF canvas to sit upon, although the
whole boat Is neat as pin The. cabbies have
| clean washable covers on their cab seats. Per-
haps because they realize that health here. de-
ponds wholly upon personal cleanliness. these
people, in striking contrast to many others as
poor, make it rule of life.
The triumphs Of social life in the islands are
the balls at government house. These are very
and not to be invited is especially to the sensitive
and pleasure-loving West Indian, bitterness and
social annihilation The creoles, as the muattoes
are called, are invited to these affairs provided
they are mot too shady" as one man phrased
it. A member Of the colonial council Is very apt
to hnd that he Is somewhere near the color line,
and that on which side he ultimately finds him
self depends upon how he uses his power In
word, his vote is worth an invitation to govern
ment house.
The council in St. Thomas, for example re-
Gently granted to certain corporation exceed
Ua Nrtv tn mild
houses and other equipment on the water front.
| One lone member arose and protested that some
| Of the most valuable property in the island was
| beng given away to corporation owned abroad,
He moved that the matter be referred to COM
mittee The governor thereupon asserted that
| il would be useless to refer it to committee as
he had fully decided to grant the concessions,
and they must therefore be granted. The lone
member got no support from his colleagues, The
| concessions passed. 1t ultimately appeared that
| the governor was member OF the board OF direc-
tors OF the corporation
This incident was related by reliable Ameri-
can observer, an official Of the United States
government, He asserted that no member of the
council got anything out of it except the social
preferment represented by an invitation to gov
eminent house.
In the matter of industrial Improvement it
might be said that the Danish West Indies are
also paved with good intentions. An expert
| Hental plantatioh was started, ana an incubator
was bought with view to promote poultry rails
ing. boy was hired at about 10 cents day
to watch the incubator. He went off and few
kite, The eggs spoiled, The incubator has not
been used since. The government then decided
to buy a motor pillow. commission Of two
members was appointed to 60 to the United
States and look at the pillow. The commission got
to New York, went broke and cabled for money.
At last II arrived at the factory There were no
motor plows on hand The commission viewed
photograph of the pillow and returned home
The schools are in the hands of the churches,
and they do not go as high as our grammar
schools. There was once college, but 1t per-
| ished.
All Of the policemen in St. Thomas are i'm
ported from Denmark and they cannot speak
English, native would make much better
| policeman but all the jobs must be kept for
Danes What are colonies for II not to provide
people at home with jobs?
Denmark Is a country which has shown great
social wisdom at home For some reason none
OF this social wisdom has been extended to her
West Indies And the brunt of its neglect has
fallen upon simple, docile negro people, whose
whole world these island are. Now, for the first
| time, the American people have brought them
hope. How is it to be fulfilled?