USVI Public Records

Document text

copied in these cclumns from the World M: gazine. Miss Coleord’s refutation of the many fietitious accounts of the _ islands as conjured up by K. K., is ' worthy of the highest appreciation of t is community, and should have the effect of convinecing those who may have bean carried away by the ag- gravating impressions conveyed in the “Virgin Islands in the Doldrums’’ that it is not the average American who indul- ges in criticizing and ridiculing that which they have the opportunity to improve, We have also had the pleasure of seezing a splendid whaeck at Harry Franck, another of the journalists who paid a visit to these islands and having learned more of them in a couple of days then we who have lived here fifty years, wrote a great effusion on conditions, among other things firing secathing criticism at the Catholic Schools. Franck has got it straight from the shoulder from Rev. Joseph W. Daily, Superior of the Holy Uross Chureh here at Christiansted. Fath- er Daily’s letter appears in the Tablet of Marzan 19th1921. Ia tnis case, however, the Cenitury Magazine in which Mr. Franck let us all ‘‘have it’”’, unlike the World, did not manifest the spirit of jus- tice it publishing a refutation, hence the appearance of same in another publica- tion. We hope to afford our readers the pleasure of reading tnis article. From the St. Thomas papers we note that the Governor has by Execu- tive Order No. 20 dissolved the Food Commission of St. Thomas upon recom- mendation of the chairman of the Food Commission of St. Thomas and St. Jan that the regulation of food prices is no longer necessary. The same should be done here. There is absolutely no bene- fit in having a Food Commission as we have, which has been practically a failure trom its infancy, and is at present alto- ether inactive, as may be judged from tne fact rhat its last meeting was held in January of this year. Food prices are uniform all around aad it seems safe to says. fair, and as a matter of fact, there is perhaps not a single article of imported groceries which is not being soid cheaper than prescribed by the scale of prices technically in forece by authority of the so-called Food Com- mission. The Christiansted Pubjic School has arranged a programme for today, Arbor Day, an Awmeriear holiday observed on different dates in the various States in the Union. We are sc blocked up for space that it is impossible to publish it herz, Among the items is an address on the purpose of Arbor Day by Dr. Long- field Smith. L.OCAL. There is a fine programme advertised for this evening at the Christjal;sted Theatre. See programme in this issue ST CROFX AV E and secure seats to witress the feats ~ of the favorites of the movies, Marie .~ Waleamp and the tamous Cody. : 58 STEUBEN ST., EAST [ ORANGE, N. J. ‘ June 2, 1921. ! To the Editor of The World. | I am glad to read in The Worid of . this morning, the protest of Miss J. C. . Colcord, Permanent Field Representa- | tive, at the island of St. Croix, Virgin - Islands, against the article published in . The Sunday World Magazine of April | 24t , supposedly deseriptive of these . picturesque islands. The ardicle referred ' to, written by Karl Kitchen, was so . slanderous in practically every detail, that | it stirred me up to such a point that 1 . felt itought not to be permitted to go ' unchallenged. and [ thereupon devoted | considerable time in preparing a protest, . to The World for allowing such an injuri- cus article to be placed before the publie. After preparing wy article cailing atten- tion to the glaring misstatements and practicaily absence of any truthiul des- . eription of the Islands, I abandoned gihe «7hole matter under the idea that proba- bly my sole protest would be of little avail in-correcting the serious damage done to the islands by one supposed at least, to present a iruthtul descriprion. Mr. Kitchen’s idea appeared to be an attempt to write something furny iather thanisomething that would be of hi:torie ~ as welil as practical vaiue to a new por- tion of our country. Not onl’ did he vidicule the community, buit he placed great s ressupon intemperance sopposed- ly rampaunt on theseislands, but in reahiy very rare. He also ridiculed the poope and about everything eise on the island. There seemed t) oe nothing that met his approval or that he could sce any good in. Thnis does not apply to the Virgin Islands alone, but in his ariicles on the other West Indian Islands, he gave them the same siinderous misrepresentation. His deseription of the beautiful isiund of Martinique was simpiy “rotten”’ anda libel on decency. Who would think of CHRISTIANSTED THEATRE 8.00. THIS EVENING 8.00 “The AdvEntures of Marie Walcamp” SPUR AND SADDLE SERIES THE WOMAN WHO KNOWS NO FEAR. “TEMPEST CODY RIDES WILD” “TEMPEST CODY’S MAN HUNT” Show concludes with a Ripping Comedy. ADMISSION ll‘{eserve(l‘ Sea‘si_,... e ..., 30 and L‘mc (Fene al lunt;‘ance. e .G.hildren. 20 fmd 1()c e e going to our Virgin Islands now to live, or to take advantage of the excellent op portunities for investment in a commu- nity needing only capital and American push ? The one idea in Mr. Kitchen’s articles on the various islands he visited,appeared to me to be associated with ‘‘booze’’, as that was usually among the first things dwelt upon and most emphasized. There was scarcely a good thing said of any island, and practically no description of the beauties, the healthful climates, busi- ness opportunities, fine harbors, fertile soils yielding green vegetables the year round or of any of the many attractive ieatures possessed by these islands. My impressions derived from a stay among those islands of several months last sumn- mer and fall, were very different from those received by Mr. Kitchen. [ was well pleased with the Virgin Islands af- ter visiiing St. Thomas and two ports on the island of St. Croix. 1 happened to be on St. Thomas at the time that the change from the Danish laws to United States laws became effective, and to meet the former Americar Corsul, from whom[ secured such information rela- tive to the peopie, the crops, and the op- portunities for investing capital there. I believe it the duty of The World to undo as much of the injustice done our Islands as possible, by sending another representative down there with instruc- fions to see the good features as well as the bad, a d to investigate the true con. ditions. How much better it would have been and how much more valuable might have been Mr. Kitechen’s articles i they hail been written from a different view- point ! When you realize that the inhabi ants of the Virgin Isitands are an English speaking people, and have been that for two hundred years, you wiil readily sce how much easier it will be to assimiate these people with American views, ideals, etc. Very truly, (Signed) J. I. MAXSON Late Master U. S. S. S. Hyannis.