Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-28
Virgin Islands Divorce Business ImperiIed
By Brian Bell, Jr.


lands.-Outwardly this island
Is as 1t always has been
peacefully beautiful. Talk to
some of the business people
here. however, and you find
all is not serene.
In fact. many feel the eco
nomic fate of the Virgin Is
lands may be decided in WASH
ington in the next few months.
The Supreme Court will get
around to deciding then
whether Mrs. Sonia Herrup
Atoms divorce is legal or not.
Mrs. Alton Of West Hartford,
Conn.,, spent six weeks in st.
Thomas about this time last
year. establishing residence to
divorce her husband.
Hundreds of people before
Mrs. Alton had waited out the
required period in the pleas
ant atmosphere here. Natural
ly. they and their friends spent
a good bit Of money doing so
enough to provide financial
independence for the Virgin
Islands after years as q pow
erty-stricken possession of the
United States.
Mrs. Alton had no reason to
believe that Judge Herman E.
Moore, who has been granting
divorces here since 1899, would
balk. He did, however, and
declared unconstitutional the
Virgin Islands statute under
which she was shedding Mr..
Alton.
Excited Businessmen
When the Third Circuit
Court Of Appeals in Philadel-
phia backed up Judge Moore,
the Virgin Islands business
men became very excited. They
hired the high-priced legal
talent OF Arnold, Fortas &
Porter In Washington to work
with George H. T. Dudley,
prominent Virgin Islands
Negro lawyer. In preparing the
case for the Supreme Court.
Earlier this month the Su-
premc Court agreed to hear
the case and should get
around to 1t next month.
Meanwhile, those with bus
mess interests here are fussing
and Tuning.
II don't understand this
thing" said one man who
owns liquor stores. shops, ho-
tells and. some say, half of st.
Thomas. I'VE finally make
enough money down here so
the islands don't have to be
supported by the United
States-now they're thinking
OF putting the islands back on
the backs of the taxpayers in
the States.
Morally there isn't much
argument as I see it. These
people are going to get di-
vorces somewhere. Why should
1t be in Reno. Las Vegas.
Florida or somewhere else that
has a short waiting period in
stead OF the Virgin Islands?
Our divorce business isn't a
drop in the bucket compared
to theirs anyway. 1t means
the difference in sinking or
swimming to many of u.s."
Some of the oldtime resi-
dents feel differently. They
settled in st. Thomas. built
beautiful homes and sat back
to enjoy the climate, scenery
and peace. In 1916, the di-
Vofce business began to pros
per and some Of the peace dis
appeared, to hear them tell it.
The sooner they stop all
these wild divorces from COM
ing down here the better I'll
like it," one old resident con-
tends. Il don't mean all of them
are wild but the ones that are
make it unpleasant for many
of u.s."
For q young couple strug-
Cling to make go of it in the
hotel business, shutting OF the
divorce traffic has been a blow.
Charlie and Virginia Yates are
typical. They gave up profit
able jobs in the States when
Virginia was transferred to
another job which would force
a move from Charlie. They
started guest house on a shoe
string and were rapidly max
ing a go Of it.
Frankly, I would like to see
the islands work toward be-
coming more dependent on the
tourist trade and less on the
divorces" Mrs. Yates says.
However, right now I don't
think lot of people can sur
vive without the divorces. In
1852 during October, November
and December our place was
filled to its capacity of IL. Last
year after the divorces were
suspended. we had only one
person during those three
months"
Slack Season Losses
The Yates small hotel along
with most of the other hotels
and guesthouses are filled dur
ing the tourist season beginning
in January and carrying
through the summer, but the
divorces have taken UP the
slack nicely in the slow months.
Charlie works as the harbor
pilot on the side to help make
ends meet now.
Its not just the divorces
alone that are important but
the other people they draw
here" businessman pointed
out. "Often their families and
friends come along with them.
Also lots of army officers from
Puerto Rico would fly over on