Evening star., 1940-03-24
Old Denmark Lives
For Tourist 10 See
In The West Indies
Danes and Sponiords
Leave Their Delightful
Mark on Virgin Isles

leoVe Inetr OeIl9ntfuI
Mark on Virgin Isles
Ask the tourist who has been to
the West Indies what are the rea-
sons why the islands of the Carib-
bean are so attractive to Americans,
and with very little hesitation he
will say that probably the chief rea-
son is to be found in the Old World
flavor, atmosphere, charm, or what
ever it may be called, which is found
there.
Those of us who have been to
Europe are apt to think that all the
Old World charm is on that side
of the Atlantic 1t is a surprise to
find islands on this side which not
only give us European pleasure,
but give us the real thing. There
is nothing imitation about the Eu-
ropean lure of the West Indies. The
flags of European nations have flown
there for centuries. The white blood
On the islands did not come from
our United States, but from Europe
There you may see old Spanish
towns, French towns, English towns,
Dutch towns, Swedish towns and
Danish towns.
One of the best places to get this
Old World experience Is on the Vir-
gins, the islands which now belong
to Uncle Sam. The flags of at least
six European nations have waved
over one or another of them. OF
the six, Great Britain, Holland and
France maintain some dominion
there today.
Old Spain Lingers.
Spain was there only short time,
but that short time must have been
an influential period, for when Laf-
cadio Hearn was there years ago,
he said that Frederiksted in the Vir-
gins was "a beautiful Spanish town,
with its Romanesque piazzas,
churches and many arched build
ings." Sweden was there for about
a century: while Denmarks rule
there lasted for $50 years, being
ended only in 1917, when the Danish
West Indies came by sale to the
United States. Over the islands of
st. Thomas, st. Croix and St. John
now flies Old Glory, but if you want
to see Old Denmark, you must go
to those islands.
1t is true that the red-tiled roofs,
tropical gardens, palms and bananas
do not suggest the oldest kingdom
of Europe the kingdom of the Danes,
but there is far more that does than
most of us would imagine. When
the United States took over the
islands, Danish citizens residing
there were permitted to retain their
Danish citizenship if they wished.
The old Danish names still persist.
On st. Croix you may visit such
Danish localities as Frederiksted
and Christiansted, while on St.
Thomas, Charlotte -Amalia is still
q name to conjure with. This
famous seaport on the island of st.
Thomas was once the port of a
thousand ships. Its quaint main
street, still called by its Danish
name, Kronprinsdens Gade, has re-
sounded to the footsteps of many
nations before the feet of United
States tourists made it the busy
thoroughfare it is today. Just after
the United States purchased the
islands for $25 100000 the name of
the Danish queen was dropped for
this town, and both island and town
were called st. Thomas, but the
islanders themselves happily voted
the old Danish name back, and the
Post Office Department ordered it
restored. 1t is quite natural, for
Charlotte-Amalia is a bit of Old
Denmark.
Good Beer and Art Work.
Carlsberg beer, the creamy brew
we have drunk so often in Copen-
hagen is on sale all over town. The
famous silver of Georg Jensen is
sold at La Maison Danoise at prices
considerably below the prices of
New York. The beautiful bronzes of
Just Andersen and lovely Copen-
hagen porcelain can be had at bar
gain prices.
Virgin islanders had Danish rule
for so long that it is natural that
Old Denmark is seen there today,
perhaps, more than anywhere else
on this side of the Atlantic. They
even have the ubiquitous CO.
operative store, for it would not be
a bit of Denmark without the COM
mercial unit which has made that
European country so prosperous
and contented. In the old Danish
days when Danebrog flew on the
f1agstaffs and spotlessly uniformed
Danish soldiers were sentries out
side the old forts, Denmark was less
significant than it is today. Now
that the tourists gather there every
month the past is idealized and the
Yankee and Irish planters who have
long been influential on the islands
are apt to be forgotten. Yet even
when they are remembered and
credit given to their influence, old
Denmark makes itself felt most.
Now that the Virgins are visited
by the splendid transatlantic liners
OF neutral steamship lines, it is pos
sible for the people of the United
States to enjoy old European atmos-
phere and charm from the moment
they step on the gangplank in New
York until thew return