Evening star., 1920-03-14

never intermarrying with the ma
tives. These people. however. need
help. They need to be taught how
to work at Industries and trades,
for they are said to be almost
starving on their feet
st. John has nearly gone back
to the bush" There is only one
white man on the island and 963
negroes. Incidentally. it may be
mentioned that the Indians who
inhabited these islands when they
were discovered by Columbus were
all killed Off in the past, and the
so-called natives" are the de-
scendants of slaves brought to the
islands from Africa and colonies
in the West Indies.
When the boat bearing the joint
committee drew into st. John
there were nine little colored chill
dren waving American flags and
singing "The Star Spangled Ban
ner' under the lead of their COL
ored teacher
st. Croix. which Is the largest
island of the group, is very fer
tile. Almost anything would grow
there. The main crops are sugar
and cotton. particularly the first.
The Danish planters have made
much money growing sugar. The
committee learned. however. that
they have been escaping the pay
ment of the income tax. and it is
likely that the revenues derived
from the islands will be considera-
bly, augmented IL the recommend
tions of the committee are adopt
ed. AS st. Thomas has been ia
nous for it's bay rum. so ST. Croix
is famous as the home of Santa
Cruz rum. made from sugar cane.
There are two towns on St. Croix.
Christiansted and Fredericksted.
on St Croix that the mother of
Alexander Hamilton is buried.
There is a tomb which bears the
inscription: This is the grave of
Rachael Levin. mother of Alexan-
der Hamilton" Hamilton was born
on the Island of Nevis. another of
the group. But the store still
stands on st. Croix where Hamil-
ton worked before, at the age Of
fifteen, he went to New York.
The rich planters have held the
negroes down in the past. But the
negroes are unioniZed now, and
have forced their wages from 35
cents to 81 a day. Members of the
committee say that there is a great
deal of bolshevism among the ne
groes and that they will need care
full handling. They are demanding
"self-determination as provided
for under the Presidents fourteen
points"
The Navy has done much to bet
ter health conditions among the
natives. It has established a hos
pital at st. Thomas. The infant
mortality was about 60 per cent
when the Navy took charge, and
now 1t Is said to be down to less
than 80 per cent. There is still
much to be done, however, and Miss
Julia Lathrop, head of the chill
dren's bureau Of the Department of
Labor, on representations made by
the joint committee, has agreed to
send a woman doctor and a nurse
to the islands to help in showing
tho women how to aRre for their
babies. 1t is said that 60 per cent
of the children born in the islands
are, illegitimate.
The government Of the islands is
by two councils, one for st. Thomas
and st. John and one for st. Croix.
The governor appoints four mem
bers Of each council, and the 9TH
ers are elected by the people. There
Is a property qualification for the
voters. Mail 10 brought to the
islands by schooner from Porto
Rico, and by line from New York
that sends q vessel down to st.
Thomas once every two weeks. But
the islands arc wen supplied with
news. They have . wireless plant
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