From the Royal Danish Consulate virgin-islands-history.dk Program of the TRANSFER CEREMONY. (Copied from an Actual Newspaper Account) On the day fix for the formal transfer of the Danish West India Islands to the United States of America the following ceremony will take place at the hour fixed -4 p.m. local time. The transfer takes place at the same time in all three islands. The formal transfer, mentioned in 4 of the Convention, of all the islands to the Representatives of the United States of America, Commander Edwin T. Pollock, takes place at St. Thomas through the undersigned Governor as Representative of His Majesty Christian the Tenth of Denmark. The formal act of transfer takes place at the premises in front of the military barracks. A guard of honor from the cruiser Valkyrien under the command of an officer and with the band on its right wings draws up in front of the barracks, with their back to the building, and the American guard of honor draws up right opposite facing the Danish guard. The non-commissioned officer in acting charge of the barracks and the gun crew take their stand at the salute-battery, and men designated to lower and hoist the National Flag of their respective countries take their stand at the flag-staff. The officials or those specially invited to attend the ceremony take their stands as follows, turning their back to the fort: Nearest to the Kings Wharf the officials and then the members of the Colonial Council, the Consular body and other parties invited. When the Representative of the United States leaves the American man-of-war a salute of 15 guns is fired from the Valkyrein flying the United States Flag from her fore-mast, and the same salute is fired from the fort on the landing of the Representative. On his landing he is received by the Governor and the Colonial Secretary together with whom he passes along the front of the Danish guard-of-honor, pass the officials and those specially invited, before the front of the American guard-of-honor, and thereafter to the barracks officer-quarters, where protocol regarding the transfer is signed. This being accomplished the Governor takes his stand in front of the Danish guard-of-honor, the United States Representative in front of the American guard-of-honor. In the name of His Majesty King Christian the Tenth, the Governor proclaims the islands transferred to the United States of America upon which the guards-of-honor present arms, the Danish National Flag is lowered while the Danish band plays the National Anthem, and a salute of 21 guns is fired from the salute battery and all the men-of-war. The guards-of-honor change places. The Representative of the United States proclaims the islands taken into possession, the guard-of-honor present arms, the American National Flag is hoisted while the American band plays the American National Anthem and a salute of 21 guns is fire from the battery and all the men-of-war. After prayer by Bishop E. C. Greider the Agent for the United States, Commander Edwin T. Pollock, U.S. Navy, announced his being duly appointed Acting Governor of the Virgin Islands of the United States of America. The retired Governor having passed the front of the Danish guard-of-honor, the guard marches off. The newly appointed Governor then returned to the U.S.S. Hancock, whereupon a salute of 17 guns was fired in his honour as acting Governor of the Virgin Islands of the United States of America. At St. Croix the proclamation is read in Christiansted by the Dispatching Secretary, in Frederiksted by the Policemaster and the barracks analogically with the change at St. Thomas takes place under the charge at respectively the Chief of the Gendarmery Corps and the Commanders of the Detachments. At St. Jan the proclamation is read by the Policeassistant whereafter the changing of the flag takes place.
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 10:35:34 +0000
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