Items of Interest March 10, 1917 Issue

Items of Interest

In describing the educational phase of Boy Scout work, the chief scout executive declares: "The Boy Scout movement aims to reinforce all of the agencies which make for right living and character development in the youth of America. It does not seek to supersede the home, the church, or the school, but to supplement these institutions largely in the leisure time of the boy, and to impart by means of its own programs and exercises the virtues of chivalry, honor, and good citizenship. The character building work of the movement is presented to boys what is meant to be an 'attractive wrapping.' It is based largely on the method of learning by doing, in order that boys may be taught to be resourceful and selfreliant in all situations in which they may be placed.

"The movement is non-sectarian and non-political. Its program offers to the boy a well rounded mental, physical, and moral experience, largely out of doors, and calculated to develop a love of country, God, and neighbor. For its success the movement depends upon the voluntary leadership of men of high ideals, who serve as scout masters and scout commissioners. The educational aspect of the work is emphasized by the fact that of the 7067 men who held commissions as scout masters on Dec. 31 last, about 65 per cent are college men and over 80 per cent have either a high school or a college education; 1655 give their occupation as clergymen, and 790 as public school teachers; others are professional men, journalists, students, or engaged in mechanical or mercantile pursuits."

Commercially, the most important feature of the Danish West Indies is the fine harbor at Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas, according to a commercial survey of the islands just completed by the United States Department of Commerce. This survey emphasizes the convenience of the harbor as a distributing center for all of the Lesser Antilles. It lies on the direct line of communication between European ports and the entrance of the Panama Canal, as well as in direct line for vessels plying between the Atlantic ports of the two Americas or between the Atlantic and Pacific ports of these continents. It is 1400 miles from New York, 1020 miles from the Atlantic entrance of the Panama Canal, and 480 miles from La Guaira, the chief port of Venezuela. Its location commands the Virgin Passage to the Caribbean Sea, the easternmost gateway to that body of water.

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