Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-05-18
AMERICAN CAPITALISTS
Can Find Profitable Investments
in Porto Rico.
GENERAL HENRY ENTHUSIASTIC.

Ex-BfiIitnry Governor ofthe Island De-
cIares 1t wonderful Country, But
Asserts That 1t Is n Place For the
Capitalist Rather Than the Poor Man
New York. May 49, Major General
Henry, U. S. v, until recently military
governor of Porto Rico. arrived on the
transport Mcpherson from San Juan
yesterday. He was accompanied by
Mrs. Henry and his daughter, Mrs.
Benton. The party will remain in this
city until Monday next, when they
will leave for Washington General
Henry is enthusiastic about Porto
Rico, it's people and its possibilities.
1t is wonderful country" he said.
but we will have to go slow in bring
ing about reforms. Capital invested
will bring large returns. More than
SO per cent of the value of the sugar
cane is lost in the process of grinding.
The children are thirsting for knowl
edge. and the great need is good
schools. General Eaton is doing fine
work in this respect There is an
English teacher in each of the ten dis
tricts, and English is taught in all
of the schools of San Juan.
1.-THE general conditions are very
encouraging. Over 5000 men are at
work on public improvements, and we
are spending over 100000 per month
in this way. This is more money than
the men received from Spain all their
lives. The road from Ponce to San
Juan, the military road, is well built,
but the other roads are wretched.
When we have improved them all the
natives in the interior can get their
produce to the coast at slight cost.
s'The Porto Ricans are anxious for
territorial form of government, bur
the question is how are they going to
get money if the customs duties are
wiped out We are spending large
sums, and | introduced a water supply
in San Juan In Eve weeks after / took
hold. The Spanish had been at work
on the same thing for so years. San
Juan is as clean now as any city of
the South American republics. The
people all look forward to being
Americans.
with the exception of few dis
gruntled politicians the island is free
from all i'll will toward the United
oL1teS- Out VI lH0SS men, WuO Is nOW
in the United States, has boasted that
he was the cause of my leaving my
command. mis- paper was suppressed.
/ believe At any rate If such an out
rageous falsehood had been told about
any predecessor of mine / should have
taken such measures.
"Of course there is talk about an up
rising, but there is really no danger
of such thing happening. The Porto
Ricans lived for 400 years under Span
ish rule and never caused trouble. |
travelled all over the island with nv
orderly when there was talk of mas
sacre.
General Henry maintained that Porto
Rico has the loveIiest winter climate
in the world, and a great hotel would
pay there.
Porto Rico he said. lis the place
for the capitalist rather than for the
poor man. At the present time there
are thousands of the poor class with
out employment When / left there
were $4,000 laborers employed on the
roads at 30 cents per day"
81 consider that during my admin
istration of over five months the route
to prosperity in Porto Rico was sur
veyed, broad guage road bed made,
the rails laid. the rolling stock fur
nished and the locomotive started. 1t
now remains, | believe, for capital 10
take and operate the road, benefiting
the Porto Ricans as well as increasing