[Illustration: A NATIVE ON THE WAY HOME FROM MARKET]
[Illustration: “BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE,” CHARLOTTE AMALIE]
[Illustration: PUBLIC SQUARE, CHRISTIANSTED, ST. CROIX]
Previous to the purchase, Rear Admiral Casper F. Goodrich thus defined
the advantages of the transfer in an interview in the New York _Times_.
“Were the Danish West Indies in the possession of an enemy, what
interests of ours would be menaced? Let us seek the answers to this
momentous question. From them, as a base, to Charleston, our nearest
important Atlantic harbor, is about 1200 miles; to Norfolk about 1300
miles--distances easily covered in three or four days by a fleet which
could fight an action and return with plenty of fuel left in the
bunkers. Moreover, raiding operations therefrom, could, and doubtless
would, seriously interfere with, if they didn’t wholly interrupt, our
foreign commerce, even at remote points, such as New York, Boston and
Portland. In the other direction lies Colon, a little more than one
thousand miles away from St. Thomas. It is against Colon that an
inimical campaign would more possibly be directed. The possession of
this gateway to the Pacific would restore the conditions of the war
with Spain, when the _Oregon_ had to circumnavigate the whole of South
America in order to join Sampson off Santiago de Cuba.
[Illustration: STREET IN FREDERIKSTED]
[Illustration: HOUSE WHERE ALEXANDER HAMILTON LIVED AS A BOY,
FREDERIKSTED, ST. CROIX]
[Illustration: DANISH SUGAR MILL, ST. CROIX]
“It is evident that a foreign nation endeavoring to acquire the Danish
West Indies could in fact have no mere commercial or profitable
colonial aim in view. There is but one harbor in the group that is
especially fit for a naval base--Charlotte Amalie, on the south side
of St. Thomas. By skill and care it could be made to accommodate a
fleet large enough to occasion us grave concern. From a secure harbor
for merchant steamers to a naval establishment and a military outpost,
the path is neither hard nor long. It is wiser, however distasteful,
to forestall any such manoeuver by a foreign power by buying the
islands ourselves. We do not relish the idea of such a thorn in our
side, such a threat to neighboring Porto Rico, to our naval station at
Guantanamo (only 300 miles distant), to that at Key West (1000 miles
distant), to the free navigation of the Caribbean Sea, and the Mona and
Windward Passages (between Porto Rico and Haiti, Cuba and Porto Rico,
respectively), or to our Gulf cities. Thus it appears, north, east,
south and west, these islands are a most valuable _point d’appui_ for
any European government wishing to quarrel with us. It is, therefore,
in the highest degree essential that we spare no effort to prevent
their falling into unfriendly hands.”
_Transportation_
Climatically the Virgin Islands offer much to attract the tourist as a
winter resort. They need first-class hotels, to be built and managed
by competent Americans. There is no reason why the islands should not
become popular with the tourist as soon as suitable accommodations have
been provided.
[Illustration: BAY OIL STILL
From “The Virgin Islands,” by Luther K. Zabriskie, G. P. Putnam’s Sons,
Publishers]
[Illustration: LABORERS’ HOMES ON A ST. CROIX PLANTATION
From “The Virgin Islands,” by Luther K. Zabriskie, G. P. Putnam’s Sons,
Publishers]
Situated 1440 miles south of New York and 1025 miles from Colon,
the northern entrance to the Panama Canal, the islands are ideally
placed for a short sea voyage. The population in recent years has
been diminishing, because of the loss of trade and the consequent
falling-off of the number of ships in the harbor. At one time there
were 46,000 people on the islands; in 1911, the number had dwindled to
27,000, and the present population is said to approximate this figure.
The only means of transportation on St. John is by horseback. As the
island is very hilly, the roads are not suitable for vehicles. On
St. Thomas there are about fifteen miles of good roads, traversed by
numerous carriages and a few automobiles. St. Croix boasts one hundred
miles of roads, but few of these are paved.
We include in our West Indies possessions not only some of the Virgin
Islands, but Porto Rico. Porto Rico, however, is no more American today
than when we first went to the island. But the Virgin Islander welcomes
the United States. The circumstances attending the purchase and
transfer of the islands were most auspicious, and we foresee only the
happiest outcome from the relations between the natives and the United
States.
* * * * *
_SUPPLEMENTARY READING_
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA _By Luther K. Zabriskie_
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS _By T. H. N. de Booy and J. T. Faris_
DANISH WEST INDIES _By W. C. Westergaard_
[Illustration: MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF VIRGIN ISLANDS]
When Mr. E. M. Newman, who is now in Europe, returns, he will bring
pictures and information that will mean a great deal to all the
readers of The Mentor. Mr. Newman had intended to resume his South
American series--which has been appearing in The Mentor--and was about
to sail to the southern continent when he was summoned to Washington
and commissioned by the United States Government to go over and make
a special study of war conditions in England, France, and Italy.
Mr. Newman’s objective is not the trenches--there are plenty of war
correspondents and battle photographers. His mission is a distinctly
new and important one. He is to make a record, in pictures and text,
of the living conditions of the people in war time as he observes them
in the allied countries. When he returns, this material will be put
at once before the public in a series of lectures, the purpose being
to make clear to Americans just what war means to those that are not
“out there,” but are doing their bit in the home city, town, village,
or farm district. Naturally, this material will have tremendous vital
interest to all of us in the United States who are watching and
wondering what war is going to mean in our daily lives and occupations.
“I hope particularly,” said Mr. Newman, “to illustrate the conservation
of human power that makes possible the release of able bodied men to
the war with the least disturbance to commerce. The object is to bring
back to the United States a graphic presentation of what can be done
and what should be done to permit us to utilize every ounce of our
strength for the successful prosecution of the war.”
* * * * *
The Mentor will publish Mr. Newman’s material in three articles,
entitled “England in War Time,” “France in War Time,” “Italy in War
Time.” We expect to have these important articles ready for publication
in the Fall--the dates will depend upon the time of Mr. Newman’s
return. On the opposite page we print some interesting information just
received from him.
[Illustration: W. D. Moffat