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lons of rum. This liquor was exported to the United States. New Eng'anders evidently cultivated an appetite for the produce of the cane fields of the Virgin (slends. But when a heavy tax was placed on alcoholic spirits in the United States to aid in the prosecution of the war the people of tha Virgin Islands found their market eurtailed, and they were compelled to find anciher. Den: mark was the country whieh furnished the new market. -Foir more than fifty years, and up to the adoption of the Eiyhteenth Amendment to the Con stituticn, upwarl of ninety per c¢'nt, of ‘he rum produced in Santa Crvz was shippe! to Denmark, ard, accorcing to he stitement made tc th: Armerican pnewspper men, this rum 'vas almost entire!v in industrial weork, It tformed the basis «f varnishes, perfumeries, shellacs and a't such manufactures ¢f which al- cohol 1+ an essential ingredient. But the Bighte :nth Amendment apjp'ies to the Virgin Islands of the United States, and the Ki:hteenth Amendment prohibits the manufacture of alecohol even for export, if there is danger that a single “‘snifter”’ mi ht find a baver of rest in the sto- mach ¢t a thirsty Dane. ThLe islanders desire legislation -by Corgress under which they may be «llowed t) renew the production of rum under such bonds and restrie lons as will assure the compliance with the laws of the mainland, but wili permit the export of the suirits to the continent of Europe for industrial pur- poses. Scarcity of Fresh Water, But while authority to re-establish the manufacture of alcohol from the ‘‘pale green sugar cane’’ is one of the privi- leges greatly desired, what the k'slands need nore than anything else is a water supply. There are no streams, no eprings, no fresh water excepr that which is caught during the rainy season and conserved in cisterns. Cccasionally some of the visiting ships fill up the empty receptacles with sea-water fresh- ened by distillation, or condersaticn, but the inhabitants of the islands are con- stantly threatened with a water famine. They have lost their cattle ‘requently; their fruits no longer supplv most of their reeds, and they live in the hope that th: Government wiil come to their «id wih storage dams and artesian wells. To be continued. TELEGRAMS. ST. CROIX S"'ATION. London, April 3rd.—The West India Verliar entary Committee yesierdsy un- c pimetsly adcpted for presertation to ke Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay Macdo- rald, :nd to the Secretary of Stete for the Col-nies; Mr. J. H. Thcmes, the fol- lowing resolution which was moved by Lord Eurnham, seconded by Nir Jeseph Hood aid strongly surported by Lord Is- 5T 110 12 A& lington and Mr Ormsby Gore. ‘''‘This commitiee of members of both Houses of Parliament, especially interested in the develorment of good relations hetween the British West Indiesrand British Gui. ana with the Mother Country, having considered representations from au- thoritative bodies of both communities earnestly recommend the adoption by the Sritish iarliament of the unanimous de- cisions of the Imperial Economie Confer- ence on preference, and in order to promote imperial developrnents, urge that the preferenc2 on empire producad suczar be stabilized at its prezent cash val- ue for a period of ten years.'" The com- mittee also, on the motion of Sir Mitchel Thompson. seconded by Sir Joseph Hood and supported by lLord Burnham and Rear Admiral Sir Guy Gaunt, resclved to express satisfaction at the action of the House of Commons in passing the loan for the extension of the West Indian ca- ble nnd wireless services and also urged the earliest pnssible compietion of the scheme. Mr. Percy Hurd, Secretary of the Committee, submitted nany replies from the West Indies and British Cuiana to the Commitiee’s recent guestionare including those frem the Nest Indian Committee, the Jamaica Imperial Association, the Associated Chambers of Commerce of the West In- dies, the Chambers of Commerce and Agricultural Societies of St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Antigua, Trinidad and Barbados and also the Chamber of Commerce and Sugar Pianters’ Association of British Guiana. The subjects dealt with in the questionaire included suggestions on the best formy of representation of the colo- nies in Londop, whetner by a High Com- missioner or otherwise, preference pro- posals and the necessary developments of steams=hip, cable and {wireless connec- tions. It was decided by the Committee to prepare a report for presentation to the Government. Geneva, April 3rd.—The question of limiting armameats .shouid be separated from that of the estabiishment of an international orginization for the pre- vention of war, is the opinion of M. Tchitcherin, Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs, in his reply to a request of the League of Nations for Russia’s view- point on the pact of mutual guarantees, elaborated at the last assembly of the League. M. Tchitcherin objected that the pact does rot \sepirate the two ques- tions. He declares that the limitation of armaments is so grave and urgent that it is imperative the problem be treited immediately, separately and independ- ently from other qu.stions. He favours an international conierence fcr flxing the maximum strength of standing armies, naval and aerial forces of each state, based on the area of its territory, popu- lation and special local considerations. He insists that general limitation of arm- aments could be cadried out without the participation of the League, throuzh a ' gencral congress He argues againtt l tyving up the question of limitatiin of . armaments with the lLeague of N:utiors f for an indefir ite period and objects to any . scheme implvire measures of resraint | being exercised by any international au- | thorities againg any particular state, | which ‘}'l9 says would mean an interna- | tional “ictatorship. He warns the League . that disarmament ana avcidance of wrw | cannot be achieved, even partially, with- | ont the panlicipation of the Soviet Re- i public. | Berlin, April 4th. Cermany has taken . drastie meucures to curb lavish expendi- | tures by her millionaires abroad. Here- | after passports and ‘extensions of the - seme will cost §1.25 arnd other difficulties . will be thrown in th2 way dos those who . want to go to French and Italian resorts to spend their nonev. Issuance of ail . vizas was suspended’ vesterday for two days preliminary to the establish- ~ ment of the passport regulati~-ns. The | statement in the American Senate thet | there are too many millionaires in Ger- | many is undeistood to have influenced ' tle Government in its rew cours>. Com- . mercial travellers and journalists are - exempted from the heavy passport sec. ' Santa Clara, Cal., Ap~il 4th—The most violent earthquake shoek recorded here - sinece 1906, was registered here yester- . ~ day afternoon at Santa Clara University. ~ According to Father Richard the shock lasted from 3.55 to 4.00 p. m. The vibra- ' tions were vertical, with a gentele sway- . ~ ing motion, which made it impossile 1o . calculate the distance to the point of greatest intersity, ;’ Paris, Aprit 4th—M. Poincare in the . Chamber of Deputies yesterday again . declared that France will not wiithdraw . from the Ruhr until payment oi cepara- . tions has been made to her. | NEw YORK, Apiil4th. -~ Flour, (hard winter clears $5.90. | ** hard winter straights s§s 50 . Meal, Kilrdried per 100 gounds §' .10 z New Season’s Pork per barrel $37.00. . ~ Heavy Mess Pork per brl. $25 25 j Sugar—Crystals maximum per 100 lbs. % $6 53 . - | Mclasses Sugar 89 maximum 5.50. Cotton, Middling, Upland, at Liverpool per ib. 17 68-100 d. } Exchange. New York and London, 6( days’ sight $4.284 ] Exchange New York and London, sight $4.303 ' ‘LONDON, April 4th. ' Sugar, Demerara Crystals, nominal per et 57 . od.—6os. od. | ** Musecavado nuwigal per ewt. 50s;. | od.—sls. od. ““ White Java’s cif United Kingdom 3ls. 3d. Demerara Rum per gal. nominal. Trinidad Coeoa, good middling red per - ewt. b6s. od. —-bTs od. | Coiton, good medium West Indian Sea Is.and at Liverpool, per lb. 24d. nominal.