File No. 711.5914/108
Minister Egan to the Secretary of State
Copenhagen, August 21, 1916, 10 p.m.
318. Your 150, August 18, 5 p.m. Have just received the following from Minister of Foreign Affairs:
The churches in the Danish West Indies which belong to the established church are owned by the Danish State and the expenses connected with their maintenance and repairs are granted in the annual budgets. The church on King’s Hill however forms an exception; the said church was built by an association in this country, the West India Church Union “den Vestindiske Cosesag which union still owns it and keeps it in repair but the State defrays the stipend to the clergymen appointees this church.
The endowments, if any, bestowed on the churches are not comprised in the annual estimate of income and expenditure of the state, in consequence of which no mention is made therein of their amounts. However they must be supposed to belong to the congregations of the churches concerned. These congregations through their vestries decide upon the application of these resources. The said resources are not considered to be very large.
The control of the aforesaid resources is exercised by the congregation concerned, each congregation deciding the manner in which the said control is to be exercised.
Minister of Foreign Affairs adds that efforts will be made to procure further particulars as soon as possible.