Evening star., 1926-03-20

There are fifty islands belonging TO
the United States whose inhabitants
are not citizens of any country. me
islands cost the Government S2o.o00,-
900 to purchase. and they cost Amerl-
can taxpayers $4,000 a year to cover
heir deficit in revenues, although the
inha bitantS also pay taxes Wltnout
controlling voice in assessing or eX-
pending the taxes. They are ruled by
an American governor appointed by
the President, and the five or six gov
ernors who have ruled this imperial
domain have been naval officers. The
people are peaceable, loyal to America
and eager to become American citl'
zens, in place of men without
country
These unnaturalized islanders reside
not beyond the distant Philippines.
but in the Virgin Islands. alongside of
Porto Rico. Most Of the so islands
are small and inadequate to support
industry, even agriculture. The soil
is so porous that though there is an
average rainfall of 80 inches, the water
quickly penetrateS the ground and the
crops die in drought.
The islands were bought from Den
mark, during the World War. to pre-
vent complications in case Germany
should seek to buy them for naval
base. 1t was planned, at that time, to
make a naval base for our own protec-
ton, but the plans have not yet been
carried out.
This island population has dwin.
| died, year by year, under United
States administration. More than
| 10 900 have come to the United States
| O seek their livelihood, but they come
| as aliens, incapable of acquiring cit
| ;zenship. The decrease of island pop
| ulation is not wholly due to American
| administration, but it has not been
| stopped under our regime. Similar
decline in population applies to most
of the small islands of the West In
dies. but not to Porto Rico nor to
Cuba. 1t has been attributed, so far
as applies to the Virgin ISLANDS, 10
| the Volstead law, which destroyed
the industry Of making bay rum ana
| other rum, but there are other ex-
nlanations in the withdrawal of Dan
,sh industries, without the installa-
| ton of new lines by the new posses
sors of the islands, the Americans.
| In 1917, when we bought the 1s-
lands. the total population was 26.051,
and there has been no official census
taken since that year, but 1t Is agreed
that the population has lost many
thousands. Congress is now consld'
ering measures to revive the virgin
islands. for the officials have not lost
Faith in the possibilities.
The committee on insular affairs
has voted, unanimously, to report Ia
vorablv for adoption the kfess bill
IH.R. 1926, and the report will be
made next week.
X X X
/ oyof
lernment and gives United States citi-
zenshin to all who are 81 years of
aca or over. and who are able to read
Land write the English language. Ad-
lditional qualifications may be pre-
| scr,hed by the council having juris-
diction. provided that no property
iouaIification shall ever be required OF
Inv voter, nor shall any qualification
lha made or based upon difference in
color. J.,
l+ha islands a. duty will be collected
uron all imports from the United
States. equal to the duty on imports
fronn foreign countries, which shall
no the same as the import tarlffs
lcharred upon imports from any coun'
trv into the United States.
citizenship will also be given to "all
former Danish citizens who, on Janu
ary II, 1917, resided in the islands
who have continued to reside in those
islands and who did not make the
declaration retaining citizenship In
Denmark, or who have since re-
nounced it, and who are permanently
residing either in the islands or In
tho United States" All such may be-
come American citizena without