The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-09
NEW RULE IN PORTO RICO.
Gen. Henry Beginning With Police AM
Schools.

schools
A special correspondent of the New
York Sun from San Juan, Porto Rico,
| says: Gen. Henry V. Henry intends to
give the people of this little island a
model American administration. He
promises to repeal obnoxious Spanish
laws and to introduce, as soon as Dos
sible, such improvements as American
| school teachers and policemen and the
broadcast self government under Mill
tary rule. AS military governor he can
easily do these things, for his authority
| is absolute.
/ Genera! Henry works hard to make
his military administration a success.
For much of his information concern
ing the city and it's suburbs he depends
upon personal observation. He always
| rides on horseback with only a mount
| ed orderly for companion. Tall and
soldierly, with gray hair and plainly
1 dressed, he already is familiar figure
| in the streets. BY his democratic ways
he surprises the natives, who hereto
fore have been accustomed to govern
nors in gold lace heralded by a brass
band and escorted by a company of sol
diers. General Henry's visits, unan-
nounced and unexpected, give him
chance to see for himself the exact con-
dition of the people and their homes,
| and also just what improvements and
! reforms are needed. And with the IN
| formation SO acquired he is able to act
more inteligently and for the greater
benefit of his 100000 subjects.
| When General Henry took command
| two weeks ago he began by enforcing
| better discipline among the United
| States troops. For some time past
they had annoyed not only the native
| inha bitants, but also the resident Amer
leans, by drunken brawls, street fights
and encounters with the Spanish police
men. These incidents usually followed
friendly call at 1.-The City of New
York. The Bob Fitzsimmons," ''Old
| Glory or THE Dewey" Before the
| suburban steam tramway became the
| property of an American company two
| members of the 18th infantry captured
| a passenger coach one evening and, al
ter tossing six native policemen cut
upon the station platform, threatened
to wreck the entire system if the enSi-
neer did not haul them to Rio Piedras,
| 10 miles distant. At the San Juan the
alter on the night when the American
and Japanese troupe gave its first per-
| formance two soldiers picked up po-
lceman who tried to keep them quiet
and, carrying him to the lobby, started
! him on a dead run for his central sta
| ton But soldiers and sailors alike
have behaved well since General Henry
established a provost guard and issued
the following warning:
| SOLDIERS who do not respect the civ
| il authority or who try to impose lpon
policemen if reported to the command
| ing officer of a post will be severely
| dealt with. Commanding officers have
| been directed to keep themselves in
touch with the alealdes, to help them
in every possible way and to encourage
| them in governing their towns, preSerV-
| ing law and order and proper police, all
of which are essential to the success of
| any system
| Lieut.. Frank Techter of Attn New
York volunteers has been detailed by
| General Henry to organize and perfect
the municipal police and later to organ
| ize a general police for the island. Now,
| Notwithstanding an equipment of sa-
| breS, pistols and sometimes even rifles,
the native policemen do not pretend to
exercise any authority. They are all
little, short men in faded blue canvas
uniforms, and invariably smoke long
black cigars while on duty They
lounge about saloons, drinking to the
health of their newly adopted mother
country, and do not modest the natives
| in the games of craps, poker and other
! gambling amusements. Their only la,
Dor, observed so far, is to give poisoned
meat balls to stray dogs. General
| Henry thinks they can serve their coun-
try to better advantage, and says: 1T
| is my desire to introduce as soon as
possible American policemen, SO as to
teach the native policemen what their
| duties are, and also to encourage them
| to exercise some authority, which at
present they seem not DESTROYS of do
ing. An example will be made by en-
| ploying some Americans now on the ISL
| and, giving them $50 month in gold"
By Jan. l San Juan will have an
American municipal police department
| of 10 men. Instead of civilians, as at
| first proposed, priVates from the 18th
regulars will be used. During their po-
lice service they will be on furlough
| from the army, and receive $50
month in gold. Their uniforms will be
brown canvas jackets trimmed with
blue, white duck trousers, cream-color-
| ed canvas helmets and broadtoed black
shoes. These suits were designed by
| Gen. Frederick D. Grant, who has be-
gun the organization of a mounted po-
| lice for the rural districts. He has
| adopted the general plan of the Aus
| TRAN rural police system, which he
studied when minister to Austria. His
entire district will be covered within
| two weeks.
The reorganization of the school sys-
tenn, as proposed by General Henry,
will begin soon under the supervision of
Gen. John B. Eaton. He will be as
| sisted by Captain Lemly of the 7th ar
| tillery and will act as general superin-
| tendent for the island General Henry
expressed his views regarding schools
| in his latest letter to the inSuar cabi-
net. In part he said: THE system of
| education should be looked into, and
| it is my desire to ascertain how many
| teachers the town can pay to teach the
American or English language, COM
| mencing with the younger children. 1t
is believed that people who can speak
English only can accomplish the pur-
| pose of object lessons. American Wo-
men for teaching, it is thought, can be
obtained at $50 a month in gold, and
they are well worth it. The young chill
| dren are anxious to learn, and now is
! the time for them to do so. If alcaldes
will report to me how many teachers
! they can so employ, they will be
| brought here from the United States