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At noon he boarded the Houston, which bore him away at 18 knots across a rainswept sea. Four hours later he landed in St. Thomas, V. I., was met by Governor Paul Pearson, carried up into the town to be greeted by cheering crowds. Kindly Governor Pearson and his goodhearted lady dined that evening with the President aboard the Houston, watched from its deck a procession of illuminated floats serenading the President, celebrating the Island's industries and beauty.
Next morning the Houston crossed the 40 miles of open sea to St. Croix, where guest and hosts motored across the island, visited abandoned rum distilleries, more subsistence homesteads. Only untoward event was a parade in Christiansted, staged by the local Democratic Club. where marchers carried banners demanding the removal of Governor Pearson, the appointment of a Democrat. His fondness unshaken, the President bade the Governor a cordial farewell. The Houston, with the two destroyers in her wake, streaked away once more over the blue waters, cutting a long diagonal across the Caribbean, toward Cartagena, Colombia.
*A jigger of cocktail rum (on which President Vincent is trying to get a 50% reduction of U. S. duty), a half teaspoonful of Angostura bitters and chopped ice to be spun rapidly with a limewood swizzle stick until the ice has melted and (hen drunk before the ''bead" on the liquor sub-sides.