.BX/^TISTICA’- 
 
 \u 
 
 Turning on the Searchlight 
 
 THE 
 
 WEST INDIES 
 
 CONFRONT 
 
 CHRISTIAN AMERICA 
 
 ^ h ■ 
 
 Revelations From Washington, D. C. 
 
 World Citizenship Series 
 
 Room 904 
 
 437 Fifth Avenue. New York City 
 
T EEASUKE ISLAND” and kindred books, 
 as well as stories of the tyranny of 
 European exploiters, together with the 
 highly sensational press reports of endless 
 revolutions in certain islands, have created in the 
 minds of the American public an altogether false 
 impression of the West Indies. 
 
 In place of the blood-thirsty pirates portrayed 
 in the story books, there are dwelling in the very 
 houses which tradition peopled with the buccaneers 
 of the Spanish main a peace-loving, simple-minded 
 people whose ancestors were reading the classics 
 and engaging in trade with Europe on terms of 
 equality when the rest of America was still a 
 howling wilderness. Even in those islands where 
 public opinion has pictured bandits lurking behind 
 every palm, and a revolution staged to awaken the 
 tourist each morning, the excitable and ambitious 
 people no longer carry as side arms a cutlass and a 
 brace of dueling pistols. 
 
 P OE generations there has been an increasing 
 tide of emigration from the West Indies to 
 the States, but world events have given a 
 new phase to this situation. The rising 
 race consciousness of small nations has caused these 
 people to question whether America has really 
 much to offer that is superior to their own civiliza¬ 
 tion, which boasted great and beautiful cities and 
 a famous university at a period when the rest of 
 the American continent was inhabited by savages. 
 While a reluctant statement may be secured from 
 them that moral standards and sanitation may not 
 be what they should be, it is hard for these people, 
 who possess the culture and dignity of the old 
 world, to have their religious and physical im¬ 
 provement bear the imprint, ‘‘Made in America.” 
 
 Thus a new element enters into the task which 
 confronts Christian America. Only such churches 
 as are untainted with nationalism will be able 
 to proclaim acceptably the pure Gospel of that 
 Master who recognized no distinctions of race, 
 color or language. A church possessing a member¬ 
 ship among all nations and preaching the Gospel 
 in every known tongue would be best prepared 
 to interpret the true spirit of America, a country 
 that has among its inhabitants citizens from 
 every government on the face of the earth, and 
 so approaching most closely the ideal of world 
 citizenship. 
 
 2 
 
I X the re])orts presented to the epoch-makin,^^ 
 Convention at Washington, 1). C., the great 
 and niarvelons opportunities that confront 
 Christian America were revealed. The gener¬ 
 ous resj)onse to the recpiest for a larger su]iport of 
 the various agencies of the church, as well as the 
 clear-cut declaration of principles adopted without 
 a dissenting voice, gave evidence that the Church 
 of the pure Cospel had received the vision of world 
 service and was ready to follow the call. 
 
 Since many will have neither time nor oppor¬ 
 tunity to read the lengthy but inspiring reports 
 that came from every corner of the earth to the 
 delegates at Washington, the West Indies Mission 
 Hoard of the United Lutheran Church in America, 
 Inc., resolved to ])uhlish this brief summary of its 
 report to the Convention. 
 
 OW IT CAME ABOUT. This Board is 
 also the result of a merger, having now in 
 its charge the work of the “Board of Mis¬ 
 
 sions for Porto Pico and Latin America’’ 
 of the Oeneral Council and “The Board to Care 
 for the Lutheran Churches in the Virgin Islands’’ 
 of the same body. 
 
 Tlie work in Porto Rico may l)e said to have begun 
 with the entrance of the victorious American troops dur¬ 
 ing the Spanish-Ainerican \Var,Aince the first Lutheran 
 services were held at that time. U])on this beginning a 
 substantial foundation has been laid during the past 
 two decades. During the years that this work waa 
 under the careful administration of the General Council 
 Hoard, it is just that we should testify to the great 
 interest and active support of the Swedish Augustana 
 Sgnod, from which Itody most of the missionaries were 
 recruited. Although Augustana did not enter the United 
 Lutheran Church in the merger, it has generously 
 continued its sup])ort of oni' work and sends representa¬ 
 tives to the Board meetings. 
 
 3 
 
The work of the church in the Virgin Islands can be 
 traced back about 270 years to the time of the Danish 
 occupation. Official church records are preserved in 
 Denmark extending over a period of almost two cen¬ 
 turies. One of our most beautiful church buildings 
 on the Island of St. Croix has been in continuous use 
 for 170 years, and another for 128 years. This field 
 came under the care of the American Church after the 
 islands were purchased by the United States in 1917, 
 and today $150,000 would not replace the property 
 turned over by the Danish National Church. 
 
 Porto Rico 
 
 The field in Porto Rico at present comprises two 
 districts, with centers at San Juan and Bayamon. The 
 growth during the past few years is such that a third 
 district, with an American pastor, has become a neces¬ 
 sity. This need has been filled since the Convention, 
 the Rev. Hans Naether, A.M., of the German Iowa Synod, 
 having accepted a call, and as soon as he has mastered 
 the language, will take charge of the third district. In 
 the meantime he is taking care of all our English work 
 in Porto Rico. 
 
 SAN JUAN. In charge of this, the oldest district, 
 is the missionary longest on the field, the Rev. Alfred 
 Ostrom, D.D. He and his devoted wife have done heroic 
 service for fifteen years. The jirincipal work of this dis¬ 
 trict is centered at Puerta de Tierra, where we have an 
 imusually beautiful church and parsonage with all mod¬ 
 
 ern conveniences, valued at $.30,000. In this building 
 two congregations worshij), with separate and distinct 
 congregational organizations, Sunday Schools and Luther 
 I.eagues. One is the First English Congregation, the 
 oldest organization on the field; and the other, St. Paul’s 
 Spanish Congregation, organized in 1900. There is 
 attached also to this center a station at (iondul with a 
 Sunday School and weekday services. Another center 
 of this district is the old section of the city of Ran 
 Juan, where services have been held in rented (juarters 
 ever since our church entered Porto Rico. From this 
 center two out-stations were conducted, LaPerla and 
 Marina. The other center is Catano and Palo Seen. 
 The organized congregation at Catano has two out- 
 6tations, San Tomas and Sahano. ’Plie organized work 
 
 4 
 
Street scene 
 in old San 
 Juan, where 
 for a quarter 
 century, ser¬ 
 vices have 
 been held in 
 rented 
 rooms. 
 
 A patio 
 where the 
 s ervices of 
 an out-sta- 
 tion are con¬ 
 ducted. 
 
 at Palo ^eco has as its out-stations Punta Salinas and 
 Las Palmas, the latter of which was abandoned when 
 the landlord razed the village. In his district Dr. 
 Ostroni has been assisted until recently by Paul E. ^Vest 
 in the English and Spanish-English work, and by 
 Demetrio Texidor, the oldest of our native helpers, but 
 who recently resigned and whose place has been taken by 
 Sergio Cobian, formerly at Palo 8eco. The assistant at 
 Catano and Palo Seco is Guillermo Marrero. The parish 
 visitor is Carmen L. de Ilertumdez. Mrs. Ostrom, to¬ 
 gether with Miss Sofia Prohst and Miss Emma R. 
 Schmid, have assisted in the parish work in this district. 
 The statistics for the 8an Juan district show 380 com¬ 
 municant members in the four organized congregations, 
 and 053 baptized memljers in the congregations and out¬ 
 lying stations. The nine Sunday Schools have a mem¬ 
 bership of 770, and there are two Luther Leagues, with 
 a coml)ined meniljership of 00. The people, out of their 
 poverty, contrilmted $1,575 toward local expenses. The 
 property of the Board on this field is valued at $40,000. 
 
 Missionaries on Porto Rico Field at the time 
 of Commissioners visit 
 
 5 
 
BAYA]\U)X. This district, while numerically smaller 
 than San Juan, covers a far greater expanse of territory, 
 and without an automobile, would be utterly impossible 
 of supervision by one missionary. The 7»Vr. Fred IT. 
 Liiulke has been in charge of this district since coming 
 to the held in 1918. lie is enthusiastically supported by 
 Mrs. Lindke, who teaches the Kindergarten in Bayamou 
 in the forenoon and the Day School at Sion in the 
 afternoon. 
 
 The chief congregation is the 8(it)fis.<iimo Trinidad, at 
 Bayamou. In another section of the same city is the 
 /S'io?!- Congregation, which has the largest Sunday School 
 in our Porto Pico held and where recently a day school 
 has been established that taxes the capacity of the build¬ 
 ing. The assistant in these congregations is Faliistiano 
 Hermrndez. The parish visitor is Roniona Sotoniatior. 
 Desiring to improve the deplorable living conditions in 
 this district, the Board is seeking a nurse or Deaconess 
 whose Avorks of mercy will further demonstrate the 
 power of Christian love. The outlying stations of 
 Bayamou— Pajnros Sunday .School and Jiaja Foad Sun¬ 
 day School—have been under the care of native helper 
 Jose ('aixni. At Monacillo is the Betania Congregation, 
 Juan Zamhrana, assistant, with the outlying stations— 
 Jiian Doinincjo and Juan Velez and Ariiha. The work 
 at Toa Baja was under the charge of llionisio Miranda, 
 who died of pneumonia in IMarch, 1920, during the 
 
 A Country Chapel and Sunday School 
 
 influenza epidemic. For the time lieing, this work, 
 together with the outlying station of Campanilla, has 
 been attached to the Dorado field. The Dorado work, 
 under (lerman Vazquez, has the three outlying stations 
 of Maracajio, HiyuiUar and Fanta Rosa. The statistics 
 for the Bayamou district give 217 communicant mem¬ 
 bers in five organized congregations, and oSo baptized 
 members in the congregations and outlying stations 
 The thirteen Sunday Schools have a membershi]) of 
 1,104, and there are two Luther Leagues, with a mem¬ 
 bershi]) of 7o. The peo])le of this district, many of whom 
 are ])oor country peons, contributed .Stiah toward cur¬ 
 rent expenses. 'Che ])ro})erty of the Board on this fiehl 
 is valued at $17,000. 
 
 With the exception of the English congregation at 
 Puerta de 'I’ierra, the services, j)reaching and instruction 
 in all districts, are conducted in the Spanish language. 
 
 6 
 
Virgin islands 
 
 'File five congrejratioiis on tlie islands of St. Croix, 
 St. Thomas and St. John are organized somewhat as 
 ])arishes are in America. In place of the paid native 
 helpers of the other fields, the j)astors are assisted for 
 the time being hy salaried parish clerks, as in the 
 Danish time. It will he dillicult to ])repare statistical 
 tables until the organizations are entirely uniform with 
 those in America. An additional diilicnlty in obtaining 
 exact statistics is the constant removal of members to 
 New York Cty, whose tenn)orary absence often becomes 
 permanent without notification to the parish. Onr work 
 in Xew York City, however, will soon remove this dilii' 
 cnlty. The last census gave the Lutherans about 2,900 
 of the population of the Yirgin Islands. All these must 
 necessarily have been ba])tized and contirmed in our 
 churches, and our pastors are laboring faithfully to 
 locate all whom tlie census lists as Imtherans. 
 
 FIIEDERIKSTKI) AND KING'S HILL. In charge of 
 this parish is the Ifcr. J. ('. Pedersen, the first mission¬ 
 ary to go out under the aTispices of our Board. While 
 now an American citizen, Pastor Pedersen was born and 
 educated in Denmark, and has had years of experience 
 in Africa, Australia and North America. In addition 
 to his regular services in tlie two congregations of the 
 parish, he conducts services in the villages of the estates 
 and regularly at the Poor Farm, and also holds frequent 
 services in Danish. Ilis assistant is Clerk Itegimild Mac- 
 Farlane. The beautiful church building in Frederiksted 
 has lieen in constant use for over a hundred years. It 
 stands majestically on the hillside, a landmark for the 
 vessels entering the harbor. There is a substantial and 
 comfortable building at King’s Hill. In addition, the 
 Frederiksted Congregation possesses an excellent Mission 
 or Parish House known as Beihesda and an Old People’s 
 Home called Snlem. They have also a grant of three 
 thousand dollars from the Danish National Church for 
 the erection of a parsonage. 
 
 CHRISTIANSTED. In this field the Rev. George IF. 
 Critchlow, ably assisted by his wife, is demonstrating 
 that there is no dead-line in the life of a consecrated 
 missionary. The projjerty of this parish consists of a 
 
magniticent church building and a palatial parsonage, 
 together with the property known as Pleasant Grove, 
 where is located an Old People’s Home, and an adminis¬ 
 tration building used by parish organizations, in which 
 Mrs. Critchlow’s large Bible Classes meet during the 
 week. This parish has the largest young people’s 
 societies in our West Indies field, one a Luther League 
 and the other a girls’ society under Sister Carrie, the 
 total activ’e membership being 110. In addition to the 
 regular services of the church, Pastor Critchlow conducts 
 services regularly at the Leper Colony. The parish 
 assistant is Clerk Alexander Creagh. 
 
 ST. THOMAS AND ST. JOHN. The work of this 
 parish until tVhitsunday, 1020, was most efficiently 
 done by the Eev. P. Kastrup, who was the last of the 
 pastors supported by the Danish ^Missionary Societies 
 It was truly a Providential guiding that enabled the 
 Board to secure as his successor the Itev. J. P. Christian¬ 
 sen, a member of the Hnited Danish Synod in America, 
 who, with his wife and child, arrived in May, 1020, and 
 whose work from the very beginning has been greatly 
 blessed. The church building at Charlotte Amalia is 
 very large and beautifully furnished. Adjoining it is 
 a large Mission House, or what would be known in 
 America as a parish house, called Bethany. There is in 
 connection with this an Old People's Home. On the 
 side of the hill overlooking the harbor and ne.xt to the 
 Governor’s palace is the parsonage, giving a view 
 unequaled by any in America. The Brotherhood in the 
 congregation at St. Tliomas is the largest men’s organ¬ 
 ization in our church in the West Indies. Clerk Amos 
 Benjamin is the assistant. In connection with this 
 congregation is the work at St. John, a small island 
 
 Ploughing on St. John’s Island 
 
 having less than a thousand population, living in a most 
 primitive state without any connection with the life of 
 the world. Clerk Carl E. Francis is doing excellent 
 work here, regularly conducting services, the pastor 
 coming over in a small sailboat when possible. 
 
 In giving the summary of statistics for the Virgin 
 Island field it is difficult to state the value of property, 
 as most of it was erected at the expense of the Danish 
 Government, but a most conservative valuation has 
 shown that the property rights which the West Indies 
 Jlission Board holds in the Virgin Islands could not 
 be secured today for less than $150,000. As nearly as 
 can be calculated, the communicant membership in the 
 five congregations is L-ihS, and the baptized membership 
 is 1,985. Tlie Sunday School enrollment is 920, and the 
 contributions of the peo])le for their current e.xpenses 
 and local benevolence, $5,076. 
 
 8 
 
Institutions of 
 Mercy 
 
 a NDER the Danish rule our church, being 
 the National Church, had charge to a great 
 extent of the civil charities. In addition, 
 many public-spirited people in Denmark, 
 together with missionary societies, established in¬ 
 stitutions under the church’s control in which the 
 sick and poor, and especially the starving and 
 neglected babies, were cared for. IMany of these 
 worthy charities could not be continued by our 
 church, through lack of resources, and also because 
 under the American Government much of the 
 work, especially that of visiting nurses, providing 
 for the poor, caring for the insane, and the train¬ 
 ing of the incorrigible, are spheres of activity for 
 the civil authorities. The Red Cross nurses, the 
 Poor Farm and similar institutions are at present 
 doing effective work along these lines. Our 
 church, however, has undertaken to continue the 
 work among the neglected babies, the orphans and 
 the aged. 
 
 Women Coaling a Ship, St. Thomas 
 
 CHILDREN’S HOMES. The Queen Louise Homes for 
 Sick and Neglected Babies, supported by the Danish 
 Missionary Societies, with excellent buildings in Chris- 
 tiansted and Frederiksted, were transferred by deed of 
 gift to the Trustees of the General Council on condition 
 that this work of charity he continued without regard 
 to race, creed or language. The value of the properties 
 is stated in the deed to he $9,500, hut they could not he 
 replaced today for $30,000. Within the past year, both 
 Homes have been completely renovated at a cost of about 
 $2,000 each. 
 
 These Homes have a capacity of about sixty cbildren 
 each. The work is divided into three departments—that 
 of a sick ward; that of a day nursery, where babies are 
 cared for whose mothers are compelled to work; and 
 that of the kindergarten. In the midst of the prevailing 
 poverty and ignorance of the ordinary working people 
 it is unnecessary to state that the Homes are usually 
 filled to their capacity. 
 
 9 
 
8 iste 7 ' Maren Kiiudsen has consecrated twelve years of 
 self-sacrificing labor to this work, and is the only one of 
 the Danish Deaconesses to remain. She is in charge of 
 the Home in Frederiksted, and her noble work has won 
 the love and esteem of all. 
 
 At Christiansted the first American Deaconess, Hister 
 Carrie (Jtck, of the Baltimore Motherhouse, is in charge. 
 She entered the field in November, lOlil, and from the 
 very beginning her efficient administration has met with 
 success. In addition to her institutional work she has 
 assisted largely in the parish, especially in the Sunday 
 School, the Luther League and among the young girls. 
 
 EBENEZER ORPHANAGE. An Orphanage for Girls 
 is the most blessed of charities in a land where 70 per 
 cent, of the births are illegitimate. Lender the Christian 
 influence of one of their own race. Deaconess Sister 
 Emma Fra^xcis, these orphan girls are given a chance in 
 life which would be utterly impossible w'ithout this noble 
 institution founded by the K. M. A. (Women’s Mission¬ 
 ary Society of Denmark). The property was valued at 
 fi:5,000, Imt could not be replaced today for $10,000. It 
 was deeded to the West Indies Mission Board on the 
 payment of a mortgage of $2,000. At the time of this 
 I’eport there were seventeen girls in the Home, and by 
 their faithful co-operation with Sister Emma, have been 
 able to conduct the Home on a very economic basis. By 
 their own labors in baking bread for the hospital, they 
 liave been able to provide a fund for needed improve¬ 
 ments and from which, also, girls, when leaving the 
 ■Grphanage, are given a proper outfit with which to enter 
 the world. L'nder the capable guidance of Miss Schoen, 
 a well-equipped educator from the States, a plan for 
 vocational training is being worked out by which the 
 orphans will be better fitted for taking their place in 
 the world. 
 
 OLD PEOPLE’S HOMES. Three of the congregations 
 in the Virgin Islands have in connection with their 
 Mission Houses a group of cottages for old people. 
 Tliese are rented out for a nominal sum, and in them 
 the occupants may keej) house according to their own 
 idea. When necessary, they are provided with food and 
 clothing by the congregation. Since the establishment 
 by the American Government of the Poor Farm, the use 
 of these Homes will be restricted to the poor of our own 
 congregations. 
 
 Island of St. Croix “where 
 
Educational 
 
 T^JNDLHdAirrKXS. The sphere of the 
 Christian kindergarten hecomes nnnsnally 
 X ] important when primary education is 
 ' shamefully neglected as in the West Indies. 
 Even in Porto Pico, where the United States has 
 spent millions to raise the educational standard 
 and where Dr. Miller, the untiring Commissioner 
 of Education, has met with remarkable success in 
 im])roving the puldic school system, the local law 
 makers have persisted in taking one backward step 
 after another, one of their recent enactments 
 ])lacing the school age at ten years. 
 
 This, however, is the church’s opportunity, a 
 chance that the Poman Catholic Cdiurch rejuven¬ 
 ated by the coming of the Protestants, is not slow 
 to take advantage of and with her hosts of Sisters 
 will soon have ])arochial schools in every center. 
 Our Church, together with other Protestants, 
 hampered by lack of funds and workers, stands 
 Avith hands tied, while these little children, Avhose 
 future could so easily he moulded, run Avild amid 
 the immoral environment of the streets. In the 
 Mrgin Islands the public schools are sadly inade¬ 
 quate, and outside of the Avork done in the Luth¬ 
 eran kindergartens practically no effort is being 
 made to care for the smaller children. 
 
 The pioneer service of our missionaries in this depart¬ 
 ment has l)een signally blessed, d/iss Nanca Sclioen, 
 formerly in charge of the kindergarten at Pnerta de 
 Tierra, was transferred to the Virgin Islands, where slie 
 re-opened the Children’s Home at Christiansted and 
 established a large and successful kindergarten, which 
 has since been carried on by the Deaconess and her 
 assistant. IMiss Schoen then established headquarters at 
 the Ebenezer Orphanage to develop a course of vocational 
 training for the orphans, but in the meantime she 
 
 ■ileys stand thick with cane.” 
 
t r 
 
 A Sunday 
 pastime in 
 Porto Rico 
 that does 
 not help the 
 Sunday ^ 
 Schools J 
 
 opened a kinderfrarten in Bethesda, not only for the 
 inmates of our Frederiksted Cliildren's Home, hut also 
 for all the children of the i)arish. 
 
 In Porto Rico, Miss Sofia Prohst, who has just re¬ 
 turned from a furlough, during which she took a special 
 course of training, has at present stipervision of the 
 kindergartens, of which there are three in operation—- 
 the one at Pueita de Tierra, where Miss Catalina Zam- 
 hrana, daughter of one of our native preachers, has been 
 faithfully carrying on the work; the kindergarten at 
 Catano, which during IMiss Prohst’s furlough was sus¬ 
 pended; and the kindergarten at Bayamon, where iirs. 
 Lindke aiid her native assistant have met with remark- 
 
 An outdoor Session at Bethesda, St. Croix 
 
 able success. Our kindergartens are so filled to capacity 
 that often the morning and afternoon sessions have en¬ 
 tirely dilTerent pupils. During the past biennium the 
 average enrollment has been over 300. 
 
 DAY SCHOOLS. The Church will miss one of its 
 greatest opportunities if it does not at once establish 
 day schools for the little children that long for the 
 education now denied them. Children may enter the 
 public schools under ten years when there is room, but 
 of the hundreds who aj)])ly, those who are best ])rej)ared 
 are, naturally, received first. A day school opened by 
 Pastor T.indke in Sion Chapel witnessed a remarkable 
 scene at the opening session, when fathers and mothers. 
 
 12 
 
Can you see why she could not send them to school ? 
 They are anxious to start. 
 
 quitting work, brought their children that they might 
 plead for the admission of their little ones, crowding 
 the chapel to the very doors. It is hoped that public- 
 spirited men and women of our church will send special 
 gifts direct to the Board for this work, which is outside 
 of our regular activities provided for in the apportion¬ 
 ment. P’ive Dollars will provide sufficient training for 
 a child to stand first chance of entering the public 
 school before ten years of age. 
 
 Theological Seminai'g. The con^'iction that native 
 helpers were essential for permanent success led mis¬ 
 sionaries on the field to make several attempts to 
 supply that need. In the Virgin Islands, under the 
 Danish rule, the office of clerk was established, the 
 duties of which, in addition to those customary in the 
 church in Denmark, partook largely of the nature of 
 those of a lay reader in the American church. In Porto 
 Rico the need caused the missionaries to establish a 
 course of seminary instruction, an action that received 
 the approval of the Porto Rico Mission Board, and, 
 through it, of the General Council. This, however, made 
 no provision for the ordination of students. But the 
 men who had been in service for years, possessing better 
 preparation than those ordained by other denominations, 
 demanded ordination. In order to obtain a solution of 
 this problem, the Executive Board of the United Luth¬ 
 eran Church was requested to consider the advisability 
 of giving the mission boards the privilege of establishing 
 the grade of lay readers and also to license them when 
 properly qualified. An exhaustive study of this subject 
 by that board resulted in the establishment of rules and 
 regulations which it is hoped will meet the situation. 
 Authority was also granted by the Executive Board for 
 the appointment of a committee to devise a seminary 
 
 13 
 
curriculum tliat would jirovide for our ])rcseut needs 
 and at the same time maintain the standards prevailing 
 in the United Lutheran Church. U])on this committee 
 were a])pointed the Rev. Prof. H. E. Jacobs, D.I)., ]>L.I)., 
 the Rev. G. A. Tressler, D.I)., the Rev. 1). H. Bauslin, 
 D.I)., LL.D., the Rev. E. E. Krauss, D.D., LL.D., and the 
 late Rev. Theodore E. Schmauk, D.D., LL.D., who was 
 succeeded by the Rev. Charles ^I. Jacobs, D.D. This 
 committee has outlined a ])relimiuary course for a Chris¬ 
 tian Training School, with the develoj)ment of the Sem¬ 
 inary to follow. 
 
 IndustrUiL Vocational training is a natural out¬ 
 growth of the aspirations aroused by the ideals given 
 in the Gospel. A begitining has been made in this work 
 with classes for the training of girls in lace making and 
 basket weaving, by which they are enabled to add to 
 their scanty income and somewhat improve their living 
 
 One of the Lace Classes 
 
 conditions. This work, less than a year old, shows 
 encouraging promise, due chiefly to the enthusiastic 
 labors of Miss Emma R. Schmid, who is in charge of 
 this department. The course of instruction which IMiss 
 Schmid develoj)ed from her own experience was recently 
 incorporated in the vocational course of the public 
 schools. The work also brought her in touch with other 
 Protestants, and so impressed are some of the leaders 
 with her successful efforts among the laboring class that 
 she has been given charge of the administration of cer¬ 
 tain funds winch outsiders have juovided to establish 
 milk stations for the children of the poor. 
 
 Calada Fund. This industrial training is an out¬ 
 growth of a very large and imjiortant work undertaken 
 by Mrs. Alfred Ostrum on her own initiative some years 
 ago. Having been asked by friends to send them I’orto 
 Rican diawn work and laces, she was led to recognize 
 the great ])ossihilities of assisting the natives by furnish¬ 
 ing a market for the product of their labors, and with 
 painstaking Jiianagement she developed in a few years 
 a business that l)roTight in many hundred dolhirs whicli 
 she sj)ent in the support of the mission. 'I'his work has 
 been taken over by the Board, and, under ^Mrs. Ostrom’s 
 ellicient management, bids fair to become an important 
 factor in the future development of tlie field. 
 
 14 
 
WOKlv NEEDED 
 
 The Lepers. ]Manv do not realize that this 
 dread disease, so graphically pictured in the Scrip¬ 
 tures, is still a terrihle reality. In the Island of 
 St. Croix the naval authorities have charge of a 
 colony in which these unfortunates are cared for 
 and where our church, through Pastor C'ritchlow, 
 has furnished regular services each week. In 
 Porto Pico our missionaries have done their part 
 in conducting services for those who dwell in that 
 
 “On the way to Leper Island.” 
 
 l)lace of horror known to the people as ‘‘The Isle 
 of the Diving Dead.’’ The exi)ense of the sailboat 
 to reach this island, together with the little gifts 
 M'hich the missionaries always take with them, has 
 prevented more fre(|uent visits on the part of our 
 workers, ddie printed page cannot convey the 
 agonized cry for help that comes to the church 
 from those who are so shunned hy their fellow-men. 
 
 Santo Domingo. For several years the mission¬ 
 aries on the f’orto Pico held have ])resented the 
 urgent call from Santo Domingo, where quite a 
 numher of our memliers from the Virgin Islands 
 and Porto Pico have emigrated. Logically, this is 
 the next held for tlie West Indies Board to enter, 
 as it is close to Porto Pico, uses the same language, 
 and can lie sujiervised from that held. In addi¬ 
 tion to this nucleus we have also the advantage of 
 the protection of the United States Government, 
 for while Santo Domingo is a re]mhlic, its custom 
 houses are under the control of the United States, 
 and the country is practically under military occu¬ 
 pation l)y our naval forces. The Dominican Pe- 
 puhlic covers about two-thirds of the Island of 
 Santo Domingo, and has an expanse of territory 
 a little larger than Connecticut, Delaware, iMassa- 
 chusetts. New Ilamjishire and \"ermont coml)ined, 
 and is seven times larger than Porto Pico. Its 
 population is about three-quarters of a million. 
 
 15 
 
There is very little Protestant work being done, 
 and the Lutheran Church should be planted here, 
 that it iiiight assist in rescuing from degradation 
 and vice the countless thousands who know not the 
 Gospel. There is every reason why the oldest 
 Protestant Church should be represented in Santo 
 Domingo City, the oldest city in the Xew World. 
 
 “And a little child shall lead them.” 
 
 Childhood extending the hand of Christian Fellowship. 
 
 Harlem, New York. City. When the Board’s 
 Commissioners visited the West Indies, they were 
 constantly petitioned to do something for the West 
 Indians in Xew York City. Evidence was pro¬ 
 duced indicating that of the many hundreds who 
 had gone to Xew York City within the memory 
 of the jiresent generation, very few had been able 
 to surmount the obstacles of language and race 
 that barred them from the established Lutheran 
 churclics of Xew York. The matter was carefully 
 considered by the Board, which felt that it was 
 obligated by the duties imposed liy its Constitution 
 to undertake the care of these peojile. After noti¬ 
 fying the Home ^Mission Board, the field was 
 investigated, and from the very beginning the 
 work has grown by leaps and bounds. 
 
 Although worshiping in a small hall, kindly 
 furnished by the Colored Y. W. C. A., the Sunday 
 School lieing held at seven o’clock at night and the 
 Church service at eight, nevertheless, in less than 
 a year’s time a congregation has been established 
 that numbers IGS communicant members. The 
 average Sunday attendance at Church has reached 
 150, and the Sunday School over 100. The con¬ 
 tributions for the first year were more than ^LvOO, 
 and the first confirmation class numbered fourteen. 
 This work is under the personal care of the K.vecu- 
 
 16 
 
tive Secretary, the Eev. Z. M. Corbe, assisted by 
 ]\Ir. Paul E. West, who while preparing for the 
 ministry is taking a special course at W^agner 
 Memorial Lutheran College. 
 
 The problem of securing property for this con¬ 
 gregation is very great, since it is located in Man¬ 
 hattan, Xew York City, where real estate is the 
 most expensive in the world, but our Church would 
 be guilty of a grave error if it failed to take advan¬ 
 tage of this o])portunity to plant the faith in the 
 greatest and wealthiest Yegro city in the world. 
 In connection v'ith this congregation there is an 
 opportunity for the largest Inner Mission work 
 among other races that was ever offered the Luth¬ 
 eran Church in civilized countries. No finer 
 memorial could be erected than an equipment for 
 this work, the wonderful influence of which would 
 make the donor’s name known far beyond the 
 bounds of the United Lutheran Church. 
 
 Survey. The Washington Convention instructed 
 the AVest Indies ]\Iission Board to make a complete 
 survey of the possibilities for work among the 
 more than fourteen million Negroes in America. 
 Preparations are under way to do this in a most 
 thorough manner, and the results of the survey 
 will be presented to the Church through such chan¬ 
 nels as may awaken our people to a full realization 
 that at our very doors are immense untouched 
 fields, Avhite unto the harvest. 
 
 Help Wanted. Although the Board is in no 
 financial position to call additional workers, the 
 fact remains that there is a great and pressing 
 need for more laborers in the West Indies field. 
 An ordained minister of some pastoral experience 
 and filled with missionary zeal is desired. A 
 Christian physician Avho is more concerned about 
 helping his fellow-men than securing financial re¬ 
 turns is needed for a section of our field where 
 many hundreds die every year without medical 
 attention. Also, a Deaconess with knowledge of 
 nursing and sanitation is most urgently needed 
 at once. 
 
 In addition to the living voice, there is great 
 need for the message on the printed page. The 
 dearth of religious literature in the Spanish lan¬ 
 guage is most deplorable, and every Protestant 
 church must do its share towards supplying the 
 need. This year our Board is issuing the colored 
 picture cards of the Sunday School system in 
 Spanish. Over 516,000 cards were printed, at an 
 expense of about $1,500, but it is an expenditure 
 that will bring big returns. No better service 
 could be rendered the whole Christian Church than 
 the publication of some of our evangelical litera¬ 
 ture in the Spanish language. 
 
 17 
 
WHERE THE :\IOXEY COMES FROM 
 
 The Boards that were merged into the West Indies 
 Mission Board had obligations requiring an income of 
 $45,000 annually. The increased cost of traveling by 
 steamship and railroad, the importance of adding to the 
 very inade(juate salaries of the missionaries now in 
 service, as well as the expense involved in reinforcing 
 our overliurdencd mission forces on the field, together 
 with the cost of the work in Harlem, to say nothing of 
 the expenses involved in the expansion of onr opera¬ 
 tions. make necessary the annual income of $()(),000 
 granted in the apportionment of the United Lutheran 
 Church. 
 
 During the period elapsing between the merger and 
 the Washington Convention, our Board received on ap¬ 
 portionments the sum of .$40,004; from the Augustana 
 Synod, $4,(ill; from the Women’s Missionary Societies 
 and the direct contributions of churches and individuals, 
 $4,2:54; from balances on hand and other sources, $:5,185; 
 from the grants from the Danish Xational Church, 
 $13,081; from the value of Christmas boxes and supplies 
 sent to the field for the charitable homes, amounting to 
 $2,300, supplemented by personal gifts to the mission¬ 
 aries from relatives and friends of over $1,500. In 
 addition the Board was compelled to make loans aggre¬ 
 gating $31,()00 in order to meet its expenditures of over 
 $ 100 , 000 . 
 
 ^\'e desire at this time to bear testimony to the gen¬ 
 erous support of the Women’s ^Missionary Society, whose 
 grants liave enal)led us to carry on work which neither 
 the ap])ortionment nor the additional gifts of friends 
 would have permitted us to continue. 
 
 Record should also l)e made of the large contributions 
 from the Swedish ATigustana Synod, which has continued 
 its liberal sup])ort since the merger. This Synod is in 
 direct touch with the work through its representatives 
 on our Board and those missionaries on the field who 
 hold membership in that body. 
 
 CHRISTMAS BOXES AXD SUPPLIES. Although 
 not coming under the head of money, yet so much is 
 saved by the contributions of Christmas l)oxes and 
 supplies for the charitable institutions that these items 
 should l)c mentioned in connection with our income. 
 Christmas l)oxes have been sent for many years and 
 have lieen a source of much anticipation, especially 
 among the children, many of whom do not know what 
 it is to possess a toy. ’Fhese boxes are packed annually 
 in X"ew York City under the supervision of ^liss Etta 
 Fackiner. For the helpless infants and the old folks 
 in our charitable institutions, hundreds of garments are 
 required every year. During the last year the Young 
 People’s Societies, as well as the Women’s Missionary 
 Societies, have gladdened the hearts of the Deaconesses 
 with bountiful su])plies, saving hundreds of dollars to 
 the Church. Xo shipments sliould be made, however, 
 without first writing the Executive Secretary, inasmuch 
 as conditions change so rapidly that instructions are 
 necessary for every new consignment. 
 
 DRCAXIZATIOX' 
 
 The West Indies ^Mission Board is incorporated under 
 the ^Membership Cor])oration Law of the State of Xcw 
 York, and by action of the I’nited Lutheran Church, 
 has its headcpiarters in X’ew York City, Through the 
 courtesy of the Xational Lutheran Commission, Room 
 1)04 of the Knabe Building was secured. This is in 
 connection with the United Lutheran Church oHices at 
 437 Fifth Avenue, Xew York City. 
 
 18 
 
At the first meeting of the Board after the merger, 
 an Executive Secretary was called in the iJerson of the 
 Rev. Z. M. Corbe, who accepted the call, subject to an 
 agreement whereby he could continue as pastor of the 
 Church of the Transfiguration, Philadelphia. In addi¬ 
 tion to the duties as Executive Secretary, he has also 
 been given, temporarily, the duties of Superintendent, 
 visiting the field each year. Since the establishment of 
 the work in Harlem, New York City, he has, in addition 
 to preaching in Philadelphia each Sunday morning, 
 preached in New York City every Sunday evening. 
 
 THE BOARD. The membership is at present consti¬ 
 tuted as follows: Rev. E. Belfour, D.D., Zelienople, Pa.; 
 M. S. Boyer, M.D., Philadelphia, Pa.; Rev. F. B. 
 Clausen, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Mr. A. H. Durburrow, Nar- 
 berth. Pa.; Rev. W. J. Finck, D.D., New Market, Va.; 
 Rev. C. A. Freed, D.D., Columbia, S. C.; Mr. C. W. 
 Fuhr, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Mr. R. E. Gaskell, New York 
 City, N. Y.; Rev. B. F. Hankey, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Rev. 
 H. W. A. Hanson, D.D., Harrisburg, Pa.; Mr. H. F. 
 Heuer, Philadelphia, Pa.; Rev. A. J. Holl, Columbus, 0.; 
 Rev. W. M. Horn, Ithaca, N. Y"^.; Rev. J. H. Meyer, 
 Jersey City, N. J.; E. J. Mosser, Esq., Chicago, Ill.; 
 Mr. Clillord Rockwell, Utica, IST. Y.; Rev. W. C. 
 Schaeffer, Jr., Allentown, Pa.; Rev. J. J. Scherer, D.D., 
 Richmond, Va.; Mr. H. M. Schmitt, Pittsburgh, Pa.; 
 ]\Ir. S. F. Telleen, New York City, N. Y. Representing 
 Augustana Synod: Rev. P. J. O. Cornell, D.D., South 
 IManchester, Conn.; Rev. J. Alfred Anderson, D.D., 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. Representing Women’s Missionary So¬ 
 ciety; Mrs. F. F. Fry, Rochester, N. Y.; Mrs. J. D. 
 Jorgensen, New York City, N. Y. The Rev. F. H. Bosch, 
 New York City, has been nominated to fill the present 
 vacancy. 
 
 Officers: President, Rev. H. W. A. Hanson, D.D.; 
 Vice-President, Rev. C. A. Freed, D.D.; Secretary, Mr. 
 H. F. Heuer; Treasurer, Mr. S. F. Telleen; Executive 
 Secretary, Rev. Zenan M. Corbe. 
 
 The Board of Directors (Executive Committee) : Rev. 
 H. W. A. Hanson, U.U., Rev. C. A. Freed, D.D., Mr. 
 H. F. Heuer, Rev. F. B. Clausen, Mr. R. E. Gaskell, Rev. 
 W. C. Schaeffer, Jr., Mr. S. F. Telleen. 
 
 It was with regret that the 
 Board was compelled to accept 
 the resignation of the Rev. Dr. 
 
 W. D. C. Keiter, our first Presi¬ 
 dent, and the Rev. Dr. F. F. 
 
 Fry, both of whom were elected 
 to the Executive Board of the 
 United Lutheran Church. By 
 suitable resolution the Board 
 gave testimony of its apprecia¬ 
 tion of the wise, earnest and 
 faithful service of Dr. Keiter in 
 the organization of the Board 
 and during its first years of 
 existence. 
 
 All inquiries concerning any matter con¬ 
 nected with this report should be addressed 
 to the Executive Secretary of the West Indies 
 Mission Board, Room 904, 437 Fifth Avenue, 
 New York City. 
 
 19 
 
Turning on the Searchlight 
 
 Are You Satisfied WTtii The 
 Result? \^e Can Chaage it.