The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1926, Page 51

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

51

the children of school age are in school. Surely,
not a fact for the British owners to be proud of!
It is said that more than half the children born on
the island are born out of wedlock. Drinking, gam-
bling, and stealing are common vices. The people
of the island are also very poor, as a rule, and the
children are growing up without proper food, cloth-
ing, and shelter. Among the people of Jamaica,
who are all nominal Christians, there are’ many
African superstitious beliefs and practises.’ Besides
the native Negroes and small number of whites,
there are more than 30,000 East Indian coolies
working on Jamaican plantations. ‘There is still

the savagery of the Congo. Its many beautiful har-
bors and rivers, rich profusion of vegetation, and
wonderful climate, when thought of in connection
with the dark human background of ignorance,
Se NeED and vice, bring to mind the words of
the hymn, “Where every prospect pleases and only
man is vile!”

Politically the island is divided into two parts,
Haiti and Santo Domingo. Each part has a repub-
lican form of government in name. For years the
United States has been compelled to exercise a pro-
tectorate over both republics and police them by
a force of marines.

Jungle Hut on the Isle of Pines.

much missionary opportunity in this island, as well
as'in other islands of the West Indies owned by
Great Britain.

Haiti — Santo Domingo.

This island was called Hispaniola by Columbus
when he discovered it. It has an area of about
30,000 square miles (equal to that of Maine), and
an estimated population of 3,500,000. ‘Though the
island is naturally one:of the richest, most beautiful,
and healthful of the West Indies, it is one of the
most backward regions in the inhabited. world.
Once it boasted of being the most prosperous and
cultured colony of the West Indies, but to-day it
_ shows many signs of ‘reverting back into barbarism,
and the remoter parts are but little removed from

Illiteracy is almost universal. | Illegitimacy and
social disease are said to be the rule. The problem
of missions is here almost theisame as it would be
in virgin fields. ‘It is claimed that not a half-dozen
‘school-buildings have ever been erected in all Santo:
Domingo-Haiti, the schools now existing. being
former residences or monasteries. It is related that
a Haitian teacher unable to sign] his name explained
the inconsistency of his position: by saying: “That
does not matter; you see, I am the teacher cs read-,
ing, not of writing.”

The Episcopal Church, the Helish Methodists, 1s
the ‘Moravians,
nominations are working in the island with varying
success. Some of the mission-work done here is of
theemotional type and’ makes no persistent effort

and several American 3 Negro de-) + .