Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-02-15
DUTCH POSSESSION
AMERICAN RULE, APPLIED
ON ALL MAIL MAT TER
Two Thousand People Live on Island
5srs2fS Twelve Miles in Cir
49, 49, cmntfercncc.
BY REV. NJ. l.. FOYLE.

Tho beautiful little island OF Saba !.
probab bly, one OF the least known OF iht
Unmarked only on maps dr:,sva to a large
Esesale.. 1t lies about twenty miles 10
1.-THE northwcs, OF the town OF Basse-
serre, st. kits, from which port there
Eis a regular weekly mail service by
EsatlinE vessel.
~ Passengers from New YORK. to tho
&lSeeward Islands arc familiar with the
tocfe for il is u recognized LANDMARKS
E;fors southbound ships. and is generals
Thomas. the newly acquired colony OF
sSthe United States. Grim and forbid
dinE, Saba rises sheer out OF The sea
s Inevitably Prompting the question:
EDoes anybody live on such place as
Vet the little island. which is twelve
Emiies in circumference. supports pop
Enlation o! about 200 people. and is
| very Interesting as one OF the few IS
lands possessed by Holland in the West
Dutch Aspect Ceases.
ifpliandsr on aEr;vi3E at the isiand
Bsione of bis country. He would he able
Ito salute his rag. and in the persons
Ethe Roman Catholic priest. would he
Fable to greet his fellow country. but
Bthere the Dutch aspect .: saba ceases.
Years ago the custom grew up Gin
ficolor question views OF .Americal OF
EU. s sehooncrs short OF crews in ;Ac
Honly island where ine captains could be
Of obtaining white sailors. The
Eresult has been II s;adu a., Anei iGan,
kiuntil the bull. ot TIE remaining popUls-
ltion consists O: females. whils; family
HITTER family nave husband. father and
Sailors in Every PORT.
All over the. world these Saba men
EIhe proud boas OF The island that lis
lNsaiiors can DC found III every port.
naturally follows tnis
|Eexodus, and then. soon as possible.
Issthe mon send for their womCctoik and
s!9sgsas ., Is as. '''s| ,ns -, n, "" :,
\ Swonieriu!, and the excellent condition
tSof the houses is almost entirely due "a
money sent from the states. II Is the
5pheotoEraphs Of Taft; Rcoseys!, end
/ Work is the place towards which the
| thoughts Of the people iurn; and the
Ahsrican mai! is the mail in strong
X perhaHs half a dozen letters from Hot
land. English is the language used
|jisor all save oficia! purposes. Amcri-
i by every Mail. and Dutch coin is hard
| 10 obtain. Frequent auIrica;ionS arc
made to the sister islands TO- putcli
| money az = premium, and when visit
Ing Saba recently the writey was beg
tEed to bring all tn. putch cdin he could
IN eSchange for American bhls.
|itSs People Are Loyal Citizens.
|si#It should, however, bc said that III,
| people arc in no sense d!iloya! 10 their
| fnother country. T' u-Sratcful to he,
for what she has done. I, Is simply
| that Holland is so lar away. ard he,
| lmmediatc iniiGencc OFT the inhabitants
1 sives SO small that tho vastly create
/ and more accessible republic 20 which
| hheir bread winners have gone ha
| Elaimed and held their interest.
I Saba, indeed. raises the whole cues
III fion OF the influence of the Unite,
/ States in the West Indies. lnG serve
| TO remind us that even in these days
peaceful Penetration stu remains
strong factor in international If,
Since the war with Spain. Iorto Ric
has been n definitely Ainc reran colony
the Danish Islands OF 81. Thomas. :
81 sIan and 81. CroiX were recently nc
squired by the United States: -imcri
can influence is paramount in Cub:
1: whilst order has hccn restored through
"a ther Intervention in san Domingo an
II 3Eayti. an island OF infinite promis,
sOne sometimes wonders whether tn
n khoistinS OF tho Stars and Stripes ii
bther islands besides the cx-Lkinisl
R5fVsrgins. would produce any vcrySviol
lent change in the national outlook o
Il 1.-THE population.