Purpose: To Prolong Shipping Window to the Virgin Islands
Date: April 25, 1925
(Original document available here)
WHEREAS, an Act of Congress, entitled the “Merchant Marine Act, 1920”, approved June 5, 1920, contains the following provisions:
“Sec. 21. That from and after February 1, 1922, the coastwise laws of the United States shall extend to the island territories and possessions of the United States not now covered thereby, and the board is directed prior to the expiration of such year to have established adequate steamship service at reason able rates to accommodate the commerce and the passenger travel of said islands and to maintain and operate such service until it can be taken over and operated and maintained upon satisfactory terms by private capital and enterprise: Provided, That if adequate shipping service is not established by February 1, 1922, the President shall extend the period herein allowed for the establishment of such service in the case of any island Territory or possession for such time as may be necessary for the establishment of adequate shipping facilities therefor:”
AND WHEREAS, an adequate shipping service to accommodate the commerce and the passenger travel of the Virgin Islands, has not been established as provided by Section 21 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920″
AND WHEREAS, the President of the United States in accordance with the authority vested in him by Section 21 of the “Merchant Marine Act, 1920”, has from time to time, to wit, on February 1, 1922, on May 18, 1922, on October 28, 1922, on October 25, 1923, on April 7, 1924, and on October 25, 1924, issued Proclamations extending the time for the establishment of such service, and deferring the application of the coastwise laws to the Virgin Islands, until May 1, 1925.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Calvin Coolidge, President of the United States of America, acting under and by virtue of the authority conferred upon me by Section 21 of the above mentioned Act, hereby declare and proclaim that the period for the establishment of an adequate shipping service with the aforesaid Virgin Islands be further extended from May 1, 1925, to December 31, 1925;
AND INASMUCH as the extension of the coastwise laws of the United States to the Virgin Islands, as provided in Section 21 of the “Merchant Marine Act, 1920” is dependent upon the establishment of an adequate shipping service to such island possession, I do hereby further proclaim and declare that the extension of the coastwise laws of the United States to the Virgin Islands is deferred from May 1, 1925, to December 31, 1925.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
DONE at the city of Washington this twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord, One Thousand Nine Hundred and Twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the One Hundred and Forty-ninth.
Citation: The Statutes at Large of the United States of America from December, 1923 to March, 1925
The Coolidge Foundation gratefully acknowledges the volunteer efforts of David McCann, who prepared this document for digital publication.