The age-herald., 1898-10-19
PROMPTLY AT HOUR OF NOON
The American Ensign Was Raised and
 Spanish Sovereignty Passed Away.
CEREMONY QUIET AND DIGNIFIeD
About 900,OOO Inhabitants Lost Their 2 Spanish Citizenship, and Are Now Without Any Country
 ington Officials Puzzled.

San Juan de Porto Rico, October 1S.- Promptly at noon today the American flag was raised over San Juan. The ceremony was quiet and dignifed, unmarred by dis- order of any kind.
 The Eleventh regular infantry, with two batteries of the Fifth artillery, landed this morning. The latter proceeded to the fort, while the infantry lined up on the docks It was holiday for San Juan, and there were many people on the streets. Rear Ad- miral Schley and General Gordon, accom- panied by their staffs, proceeded to the palace in carriages. The Eleventh infantry regiment band, with Troop H of the Sixth United Statets cavalry, then marched through the streets and formed in the square opposite the palace.
 At 1140 a. m. General Brooke, Admiral Schley and General Gordon, the United States evacuation commissioners, came out of the palace with many naval officers and formed on the right side of the square. The streets behind the soldiers were thronged with townspeople, who stood vat ing in dead silence. At last the city clock struck the hour of 12 and the crowds, al- most breathless and with eyes fixed upon the fagpole, watched for developments. At the sound of the first gun from Fort Morro, Major Dean and Lieutenant Castleton of General Brookes staff hoisted the stars and stripes, while the band played the Star Spangled Banner" All heads were barred and the crowds cheered. Fort Moro, Fort San Cristobal and the United States revenue cutter Manning, lying in the harbor. fired twenty-one guns each.
 Senor Munoz Rivera, who was president of the recent autonomist council and other officials of the late insular government was present at the proceedings. -. s-. x, s.ss.s $
 Ensign King hoisted the stars and stripes on the. .Intendencia, but other flags on the various other public buildings were hoisted by military officers. Simultaneously with the raising of the flag over the captain generals palace, many others were hoisted in different parts of the city.
 The work of the United States evacuation commission is now over and the reports will be forwarded to Washington on Tuesday next. The labors of both parties have ter minated with honors for all concerned. The American commissioners worked without the least delay and in the most thorough and effective manner.
 People Without a Country
 Washington, October 18.-In view of the fact that at noon today with the acquisi- tion of the island of Porto Rico by the United States, about SOO,O ,OOO inhabitants of that island lost their Spanish citizenship the question as to what shall become of these people politically becomes of impor- tance. Madrid advices report that leading citizens in Porto Rico have already taken steps to become naturalized as United States citizens. This is an error, for ex- sting law provides no way in which this charge of citizenship can be effected by the residents of the island. There is no United States court there before which a declara- tion of intention can be filed and in fact, no machinery at all which can be put in motion to change citizenship.
 Inquiry into this subject at the state de- pertinent disclosed the fact that it is usual to provide for bodily transfer of citi- zenship of people conditioned as those in Porto Rico in the treaty of peace, which terminates war. It may be prudent for the commission at Paris to avoid any ref erence to Porto Rico again in which case congress will be called upon by the presi- dent to confer citizenship upon the Porto Ricans in the same act as that which must be passed to provide a stable form of gov ernment for the island. Should either of hese courses be found impracticable, however. it is said at the department that International law in it's operation would confer American citizenship upon these Porto Ricans, the principle being that where treaty of cession is silent upon the subject citizenship changes with the soil In the case of the acquisition of New Mexico, the residents of the territory were given American citizenship by specific pro- vision of the treaty.