Paris by Americans. The flag, which is 24 by 36 feet in size, belongs to the President of the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society.

In April, 1917, the San Francisco Examiner (newspaper) unfurled over the intersection of Third and Market streets, San Francisco, a flag 75 feet wide and 130 feet long, believed to be the largest American flag in the United States.

Original notes on the origin of the Stars and Stripes and the legend of their relation to Washington's coat-of-arms will be found in the Annual Reports of this Society for 1912, p. 233, and 1914, p. 267, with illustrations.

Notes on the Bronx Borough flag and the Queens Borough flag will be found in our Annual Report for 1913, p. 189, and on the flag of New York City in our Report for 1915, p. 819, with pictures.

The supplemental volume of the Sixth Annual Report of the New York State Education Department is a beautifully illustrated book of 110 pages by Mr. Harlan Hoyt Horner entitled "The American Flag," with bibliography on the subject. It was printed

in 1910.

THE DANISH WEST INDIIES

Acquired by the United States - A Question of Name

The recent acquisition of the Danish West Indies by the United States is an interesting historical event in itself, and has raised an interesting question of nomenclature.

The Danish West Indies are a group of three islands named Saint Thomas, Saint John and Sainte Croix and a few islets and rocks. Saint Thomas lies about 36 miles east of Porto Rico, Sainte Croix about 37 miles south of Saint Thomas, and Saint John is between them. Saint Thomas has an area of about 33 square miles; Saint John about 31 and Sainte Croix about 74.

By a convention between the King of Denmark and the United States Government, signed in New York, August 4, 1916, the former agreed to sell the islands to the latter for the sum of $25,000,000 or at the rate of about $283 an acre payable in gold coin of the United States. On September 9, 1916, the Senate gave its consent to the ratification of the convention, and ratifica

tions were exchanged by the representatives of the two governments on January 17, 1917. By the terms of the convention, the islands became the possessions of the United on January 17, although the formal delivery took place later, for the convention says that "the cession with the right of immediate possession is nevertheless deemed complete on the exchange of ratifications of this convention without such formal delivery."

On February 19 the House of Representatives and on February 20 the Senate passed the bill appropriating $25,000,000 for the purchase. On March 31, Secretary of State Lansing delivered to the Danish Minister to the United States, Hon. Constantin Brun, a warrant for the money, and messages were sent to the respective Danish and American officials at St. Thomas for the lowering of the Danish flag and the raising of the United States flag. The islands were received in the name of the United States government by the ranking naval officers present. On the same day Rear Admiral Oliver left Washington, D. C., for St. Thomas to assume charge as temporary Governor.

In the course of these transactions, several suggestions concerning the re-naming of the islands appeared in the newspapers. Obviously the islands are no longer the "Danish " West Indies, and one writer suggested that they be called the American West Indies. Such a term would not be distinctive if applied solely to the three islands in question, for it is general enough to include Porto Rico, but doubtless some such general name applicable to all United States possessions in the West Indies will eventually come into use. In the appropriation bill they are referred to as the Virgin Islands, but the United States Geographie Board has not considered or acted upon the subject. Other suggestions put forward have proposed that the islands be named the Dewey Islands, the Farragut Islands and the Lincoln Islands. It seems to have occurred to no one to suggest that they be named after Columbus who performed the not ineonsiderable service of discovering them in 1493. Excepting a change of the possessive name of the group which is now a misnomer, the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society is in favor of the general principle of retaining old place-names. The names St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix (or Santa Cruz, mean

ing Holy Cross) are centuries old. They have grown into recorded history and have a flavor and significance of their own. Το change these individual names would confuse historical records and rob the islands of their birth-right. Unless some more cogent reason is advanced for affixing a new and personal name to the group or for changing the individual names, the principles of this Society would dictate that the old individual names be retained, and that only such change be made in the general designation of the newly acquired islands, in conjunction with other neighboring insular possessions, as will indicate their American ownership.

IN CANADA

List of Dominion and Provincial Parks

Following is a list of the principal Dominion and Provincial Parks in Canada with the dates of their creation and areas:

The Fourth Report of the Commission of Dominion Parks for the year ended June 30, 1915, and printed by the Government Printing Bureau in Ottawa in 1916, indicates the enterprise with which the Dominion authorities are developing and advertising *Dominion Parks. Provincial Parks.

their scenic attractions. (See Mr. Robert Sterling Yard's reference thereto on pages 377-378 preceding.) Park areas have been enlarged, roads and trails have been built to give access to the parks and hotels and camps have been built to accommodate visitors when they go there. Wild birds and animals have been protected and beautiful features of the natural scenery conserved. Facilities for out-door sports in summer and winter have been developed; and mountain climbing, fishing, ski-ing, etc. are encouraged.

The Commissioner counts the increasing number of visitors and dwells on the commercial possibilities of the parks, but he also makes a strong argument on their human side. He points out that the greatest asset of any country is its human units, and in view of the effects of the war, at present and after the war, Canada requires everything that will promote human efficiency. He reviews the many conditions- unsanitary habits of life, overheated rooms, lack of fresh air, poorly arranged factories and workshops, exclusion of sunlight, foul air, drudgery, monotony, lack of recreation, etc.—which diminish the efficiency of the people, and says that the idea behind the national parks is to provide an antidote for these hurtful conditions so far as possible. As an illustration of the effect of out-door life, he calls attention to the transformation produced in the Canadian troops after a few weeks of "setting up" in a military camp- the bright eyes, the healthy glow, the decisive step. He believes in multiplying the parks and scattering them all over the Dominion so that the whole population of Canada may have convenient access to them, and that they will have an important influence in developing a virile and efficient manhood. He also makes the point, which cannot be denied, that in addition to the effect of a park outing on the individual, the out-door habit has an important influence in developing the proper habit of recreation out-of-doors generally. "A habit of recreation in the open air, close to nature, means so much to individual efficiency and welfare that it is vital that it be encouraged and developed."

The course of events of the past year has been drawing the people of the United States and those of Canada together in their ideals closer than ever before, and the former will view with

friendly sympathy the latter's enthusiastic development of their national park system and hope for the reciprocal enjoyment of the scenic beauties and out-door benefits of the national parks on both sides of the border.

Historic Landmarks Association

On account of the war, the Historic Landmarks Association of Canada has decided to postpone the recommendation of further marking of sites on any extensive scale until the war is over. Its Annual Report for 1916, however, is an interesting document, for it contains a list of 21 historical societies established in Canada, and a list of 125 historic sites in the various provinces of the Dominion with relative facts briefly stated. This useful association has the distinguished patronage of the Duke of Connaught, Governor General of Canada, who is Visitor, and Sir Robert Laird Borden, Prime Minister, who is Honorary President. The President is Mr. Pemberton Smith of Montreal, the General Secretary Mrs. J. B. Simpson of Ottawa, and the French Secretary Mr. Benjamin Sulte of Ottawa.

IN GREAT BRITAIN

Stripping the Manor Houses

One of the regrettable sacrifices which Great Britain has been obliged to make in consequence of the war is the loss of family heirlooms and antique furniture. The financial drafts made upon the landed gentry and families of means have compelled them in many instances either to sell their estates entirely or to virtually strip them of their valuables; and a cable despatch from London in August, 1916, reported that a single auction room in that city was selling $5,000,000 worth of antique furniture a week, of which 60 per cent was going to America. Doubtless the professional dealer in antiques and many buyers view this traffic without sentiment; but we cannot help thinking that many persons in America must view, not only with keen regret but also with an instinctive revulsion of feeling, this wholesale separation of old family furniture, paneling, decorations, etc. from the places in which they normally belong and in which they have a natural historical setting. Added to this feeling, there is, too, a warm