Norwich bulletin., 1919-08-21
IN THE DAYS NEWS
The Virain lsIands.

Announcement that the Virgin IS- lands, formerly the Danish West In- dies are to be the beneficiaries of an annual appropriation of $s00,o0O from the Navy Department. and are to be the objects of a general Americaniza- ton program, is the occasion for is suance of a bulletin concerning our newest possessons by the National Geographic Society.
 Though the group comprises fifty islands, on the northeastern rim of the Caribbean Sea, only three are big enough to have name on any but says the bulletin. These are S<. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix
 While St. Croix has an area of about S4 square miles and St. Thom- as but 2s square miles, St. Thomas is the most important of the group of islands. This importance arises from the fact that the harbor on the south side of the island is one of the fines in all ropical America
 \ The story of how the war robbed St. Thomas of her one lone industry, and the possi bilities the Indians hold for rehabilitation is told in tie fol- lowing communication to The Society
 From the days of the buccaneers It. Thomas strategic advanage has been realized, for when the Spanish Main was the happy hunting ground of the gentlemen of the Black Flag this harbor was their headquarters.
 
 found setter from the open sea, and were well screened from the sight of passing ships until the moment came to bounce down upon them. In more recent times 1t has played the role of safe harbor for the thousands of ves- and surrounding territory, or vice versa. With a free port where re- pairs, ships stores and coal might be had, upon which there had been no 14r- >f %.,- world found the harbor of Charlotte Amalie an attractive way station on most of it's Caribbean routes.
 'The result was that agriculture in St. Thomas fell into decay, and near ly all of the activities of the island S population were devoted to the inte- rests of it's harbor. and one of the f1n- est coaling stations in the tropical world was established there.
 In addition to the coaling station there is a floating dry dock and a ma : rine slip, where splendid repair repair facilities are provided
 AS long as these facilities were in demand St. Thomas was fairly pros- porous island Men and women alike found 1t easy to get employment, al least for h part of the time, at what was to them lying wage, which was one cent per basket of coal weighine from S5 to 100 pounds. Some carried as many as two three hundred bas-
 
 quired to coal ship. When not do- ing this work, they found considerable employment discharging coal from freighters which brought it to St. Thomas
 But then came the war in Europe and all was changed. The steamships of Germany, which made continual use of the harbor of St. Thomas were driven from the seas, and where formerly all was business and enter prise only now and then a ship found it's way into port. and the people o1 St. Thomas, their agriculture neglected for years, found themselves unable tc gain living, either from the land ol from the sea.
 The history of the Danish West In dies is full of interest Columbus found St. Thomas inha abited by Caribs and Arawaks in 1493. In 1857 a col ony of Dutch settlers occupied the is land; but when they heard of New Amsterdam, now New York, they lief, it to become a part of the new colony with such a remarkable future ahead of it. The English came to St Thomas next, but in 1666 it was form