USVI Public Records

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are sincere about your missionor not, and if your missiva is for the benefic of the penple. Peculiariy so, the work of the Virgin Islands Protective League is largely for the benefit of the laboring classes. In St. Thomas they received us, also in Frederiksted. Before leaving America the labcring class_s at this end were advised that we were coming to them on our arrival here. We wired them, and since our arrival we have tried to meet with their ieaders. Is it pecssible that we should cringe like dogs and submit ourselves in such hunible terms, that are indesciibable? May I ask the PUBLIC, is it fair to pre- Judice the minds o: the MASSES, the very.people whose cause we are sent to support ? They refuse to hear us, they eriti- cize our work and openly abuse us, Why ? Because we speak the TRUTH. To corrcet the report current that | am being vaid by WHITE MEN to speak tne way I do, I wantit clearly undersiood that the cague paid its delegates to eome (0 these Islands. We are natives of these islands, and as such we have every right here. IThe Governor gave us the right to work in rt ese islands, and as citizens we have t e right. If the pople do not want their own kKindred aid others in America to help take part n the reconstruction of affairs lere, be f '‘ank in saying so, but before making this declaration be perfectly sure that you v'ill not need their services at some future day. With reference to the hooting and jeering aad such remarks as we don’t want te hear you, coming from the very persons waom we are sent to help, is of iittle or nc importance to me. I Jid sa', nowever, the same influerce whih has worked its way into the minds of tiie ma:ses, that only the views of one per on is »ight, whether they are wrong or r'ght, could have so evinced itself in keeping tl e inssses as quiet, when his views wele =0 clearly explained. Whethe: pecople hoot, throw rotten eggs or ¢lse in America, IS na reason that it shcald be done here. The Amorican Negro tells the masses of his own race tc adopt the culture and refinrement of West IndianaNegroes for in the West indies they doun’t hoot and jeer. It is a part of our duty to teach our peoble to co what is RIGHT always, and not to tecl that they are always right merely because their conduct in everv parcicular, served to carry out our selfish and narrow. point of view. ; Aud in conclusion, 1 repeat, that I have no ncwspaper and am not support- ed by the MASSES. Since personality has enterad into the thines tha' are detrimental to the wel- fave of the Public, let us thrash the dif- iergnces on public platform without the least bit ot malice on my part. S 1. L 1 X AN S Burt, on the other hand if things must run this way, then with justice to me, and to those in Amte\rica, dou’t eriticize the work which you know nothing of, after you were asked to join with wus, and have ignored us, and made your peo- ple t, feel we are against them. Deny us of JUSTICE all you may, in- vite ali your OPPRESSION, insult us frcm your TOWN, underestimaie our WORTH, 2nd laugh at our ADVICES because you think you know it all, but the Virgin Islands Protective League, in the face of it all, shall live, to do for those whose thoughts are void of REA- SCN and whose mighty POWER may some day cery for HELP. I am, very respectiully, ASHLEY L. TOTTEN. Delegate,: V. 1. P. L. U. 8. NAVY PRESS NEWS, Feb: lary 3, 1920. WASHINGTON; Senate roday passed the Wadswirth bill increasing pay of Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast iuard aun: Public Health Service. Jfficers ten pe- cent and enlisted men twenty per- cent. W 'SHINGTON: Secretary Daniels tocay appeared befure Senate Subzommit- tec Investigating Naval Awards. When heiring opened ihe Secretary presented a statemert which he read t¢ the Com- mi. ee. In this he showed the personal ditfference between Rear Admiral Sims and Admiral Wilson, tormerly Command- er of American Naval Forees in French weters, which toilowed by omission of the latters name from list of officers re- conmended for medals by Admiral Sims. Leter Secretary declared Admiral Sims wiote a letter to bim proiesiing against contemplated appointinent of Admiral Wilson 10 Commander ot Atlantic Flect. Letier which was read to cominiitee said “that quesuoning rumours. had reached r.endon that Wilson was o be named, and characierized ine mistake as very grave nistake and calied Secretary’s atiention (o the trouble Admiral Wilson gave me 1n the discharge of my duries’”. Reterringo difference becween ithem Secreldary sald, 'you can imagine the re- suit of orderi..g a man ol tnls characier to command of rhe flee!’”’. laking up Admiral Sims’ contentions. in making of Naval Awards point by poiat, Seceretary tovk divect and emphatic issues with him flanked by voluminous recards. H> went Into detalls explaining ~ c¢ranges he made. Outhined main point of differ- ence, (wo moOs' Imran. wueing re- lative vaiue of shore and sca duty and quesuon ol whether commanders of sh.ps sunk should under anv circumstan- ces be nopored with isasunguisned Ser- vice Medals. Utlers proor inat shore duty 18 uceessarily of secondary impor- tance (0 sea duty. Secretary cailed at- tenllon at outset ol testimony to faer that when Board’s report came to him there were few recommendations for merito- rious armed guard service and that only one hundred and nineteen enlisted men out of half a million were recommended for any high honors. Says he ordered further investigation and many names added. Masade emphatic denial of his charge that medal muss had shot to pieces the morale of the Navy, declaring that this was an insult to the officers and men of the service. Secretary called ut- tention to Admiral Sims’ tcstimony in which he said “‘our Navy was not iun this war in a fighting sense. Were acting as motor lorries besieging the enemy except we were in the water’”. He says there was no fighting on the sea. Secre:ary pointed out some of the in- stances of fighting ir which destr yers, subchasers, patrol bosts, armed guard and others tock part and cit s some official reports. At conclusion of state- ment Committee adjourned until Satur- day when Secrctary will ag in appear. WASHINGTON: Previously owned wireless stations, during the war con- trolled by the Navy Department, are to be restored to their owners as soons as peace is declared, Rear Admiral Griffin Chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineer- ing, yesterday toid House Naval Commit- tee. PARIS: Entente rejoinder to refusal of Holland to accede to Allied demands for extradition of former Kaiser is im- minent said Paris newspaper. Paper adds that while note will be generally coneil- latory toward Germany it will consider in case of new refusal by Holland. mea- sures even goiug so {: as breaking of diplomatic relauons of N:val blockade on Duteh ports NEW YORK: [First bassenger ship to sail from German port to United States since July 19 18 reached yesterday when American sieamer 'Manchura’’ docked here. Sailed trom Hamburg January 9th with 39 passengers. TELEGRAMS. Sl. CROIX STATIGN. Rio de Janeiro, Jan. 29ch. {he ques- tion as te the final dispasition of ihe forty-tive German sh ps, taken over oy Brazil during ine war, some o1 wvaica were loaned t» France, is again keenly oceupying pubilc a.(entio. ondon, Jan. Z9th. —in.erest is being manifested in (he Dye-eleedon ai Paisiey, an army 21 newspapermen 10uow iy i, Asquith’s tour r.ondon, Jan. 29.h.—The Government have refused 10, giani pesspoits 1o iy, Rawsay mcvonalu and alr. “'navi-s Lox- ton to go Kussia, as pare 0i tne dewsa- tion appoinied by the Ini.rnaonai o- cialist Congress at Berne Washinguon, Jan. 29tn. The sale o) the tormer German Liners tuken ove: by th: Uniced States has be-n defer req. Kingston. January 29ih.—l'he Govern- mend 1S considering a vroposal o p.ace the liquor tratfic u der State conaol.