Evening star., 1926-03-20
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

previous declaration of intent, by
simply registering. They will have
the same status as native Americans.
!; X x
Tho census of 1917 showed that of
tho 26.051 population IA per cent
were white, 74.9 negro and l7.5 per
cent mixed. In St. John only a per
cent are white, but in the rural dis
trict Of St. Croix 23.4 per cent are
white. only about one-third of the
whites being natives of the islands.
The natives are reported as remark.
ably clean and strong. yet for 40
years prior to American ownership of
the islands there had never been
time when smallpox had not been
prevalent. The same was true of
Porto Rico. but three months after
American occupation of Porto Rico
every man, woman and child was vac
cinated by our naval surgeons: eight
years later 1t was reported by the
governor that not one death from
smallpox had occurred after that vac
cination and today smallpox has been
absolutely driven out.
This bit of history was cited in the
hearings on the kiess bill to demon
strate that our naval or military oc-
cupation of the West Indies islands
had been blessing to the inhabitants,
in health improvement as we'll AS in
more tangible ways. In the Virgin
Islands the death rate in 1917, when
we took the islands from Denmark
by our purchase was 35.4 per 1000
population, stillbirths not included.
In 1923 the rate was only 24.S.
The people lack thrift and industry,
as do most people of the tropics. but
when others give the necessary initi-
ative to enterprises the natives are
ready to obey leadership, and are
peaceable. Most of them speak Eng
lish, which is not true of Porto
Ricans. Most of them are iliterate.
which is also true of most other West
Indian natives.
4. = x X
When the Virgin Islanders become
full American citizens questions may
arise which seem remote to the
political situation. For example, how
will the industrial conditions equalize
with similar conditions on the conti-
nent? During continental harvest
times our harvest hands earn from
81 to Sc a day, while harvesters upon
sugar plantations in the islands often
earn 60 cents a day, or an average
of S1O5. A laborer who supplies his
own horse gets $1.25 a day. carpenters
and mechanics. $1.25 to 81. Women
complain that under the improved
conditions Of American use of oil in
navigation the old occupation of
carrying coal to vessels is gone. They
earned 2 cents a basket, averaging
80 pounds, carried from the dock, to
the vessel, and they could THUS get
lnry q nafttnT
a week.
AS boil weevil has killed cotton rails
| ing and the Volstead law has killed
rum making "a by.product Of sugar
making), the islands cannot compete
with Cuba and Porto Rico, and the
| people are emigrating to find employ
ment. Not merely political reform.
therefore, is called for by the island
ers, but industrial and commercial bet
| terment as we'll.
| Aside from hurricanes. the climate
is favorable for agriculture, especially
where irrigation is possible to combat
| the drought of the too porous soil
The reclamation service has reported
that only 1900 acres could be advan
tageously irrigated, and that would
benefit only two large plantations
hence it would be contrary to the
general policy for the Government to
do the irrigation work.
The original incentive for the &C
QUESTION of the islands was to provide
a naval station to protect our other
West Indian interests and the Panama
| Canal and Gulf Coast. That plan has
not been abandoned, but, since the vic
tory of the allies in the World War
the danger has not seemed so acute
and no development has been made.
lCopyyighA 1026 by Paul W CollinsA