, 1922-04-03
EDITOR OF THE TRIBUNE
DESCRIBES FURTHER HIS
TRAVELS IN WEST INDIES
(BY J.. e. IIANwAY)

iDI %. IL.
On board t. s. s. Fort St. George
turness Bermuda Line, March o.
Continuing the story of our trip
in the West Indies. my last letter
left us entering tho harbor OF st.
Thomas. Although 1t was as carly
as 6 n. m. the preparations were
being made to dock, everybody was
on deck to see the first land since
leaving old New York and the statue
of liberty. We considered 1t quite
n trip for land ''lubbers'' and when
our feet again touched terra firma
it was n real sensation.
st. Thomas is one of the Virgin
Island groupc formerly owned by
Denmark but which was purchased
by the United States before the
wosld war in order to keep Ger
many from acquiring it There are
about 100 islar1s in the group of
which st. Thomas, st. Croix and st
sohns, are of the largest area. They
are governed as n protectorate by
Uncle Sam, who appoints the gov
rno with full administrative, exc
cutive and judicial powers. The gov
has a local ouncil that is
elected by the people on the order
of a state Legislature except hat
he is vested with power to dissolve
the council il he secs fit.
We called on the governor and
had a very interesting visit with
him. He is Admiral Kyttell. former
ly of the u. S. navy. but now a
civilian. He is one of the brightest
and best posted men that it has been
our good fortune to meet since leav-
ing Washington and we enjoyed
the visit with him very much
Being a newspaper man, and in
quisitive. 1 was armed with n long
string of questions and the COVER
nor answered them equally as fast
as they were p~ropounded. He ex-
planned that the people OF the is
lands had many problems to work
out. duo to the change of condi-
tons, such as adjustment Of the
tariff. which WIS a Big source of
revenue. and the prohibition act
which takes effect on May 1, and
VIII probably work a hardship on
the people on account of the Ass
ing steamers. which, no doubt in
the future will make their stops
for repairs and supplies at other
islands where prohibition does not
exist. Some OF the islanders think
hat it is not fair to impose the
eighteenth amendment on them
without giving them tho constitu-
ton and full citizenship. Governor
Kytten hopes, however, to get the
people back to the soil on st.
Thomas and other islands as they
arc on ST. Croix-
The city of Charlotte Amelia
with its new street paving and won
derful school system that has been
established since the Americans
have been in control. creates a very
favorable impression on tho trav-
eler. While tho architecture OF the
principal buildings is Danish and
tho shops and stores and people are
all very crude and old-fashioned,
the people as a whole are pleased
with tho American administration.
We engaged an automobile, that
was driven by a boy about 20 years
old. who was a native of the island.
He said that his name was Vance
and that he owned the machine,
which was ono OF Ford's but re-
painted a vivid yellow. Vance was
quite a tRikative follow and drove
us all over the island and pointed
out the principal places of interest.
Charlotte Amelia a two daily
newspapers. the Emancipator and
the St Thomas Notes I visited
me former office and found the
plant equipped about like the THb-
une was eight years ago. except
that they have NJ cylinder press
in the Emancipator office.
We visited the original Blue
Beard castle and saw where this
brute is said to have slain his wives
and where he was finally killed by
two brothers of the thirteenth wife
who was saved. We saw the grave
where his body is said TO have been