Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-06
STATEMENT BY GEN. ROY STONE.
Did Not Say That 100000 Were Starry
ing in Porto Rico.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
Referring to your statement of yesterday
and the press dispatches printed this morn
ing, beg space to say that I know of no
dispute difference of opinion between
General Henry and myself on the situation
in Porto Rico.
The facts are these:
On my arrival at San Juan, March 20,
General Henry told there was great
distress in the coffee districts, which COM
prise nearly the whole interior of the island
and that he had given orders for the issue
of rations and starting of relief work on
the roads, and he asked me to assure the
authorities and people everywhere on my
trip that the laborers would not be allowed
to starye and to report to him by wire.
General Grant stated the case even more
strongly, and from his own personal OBJ
servatiOn.
I rode nearly two hundred miles through
the mountains and found the majority Of
people out of work and destitute. On re-
porting this to General Henry he sent me
the following telegram:
SIGNAL CORPS.
UNITED STATES ARMY.
SAN JUAN, March %, 1899
General Roy Stone:
Start them to work on roads you deem
best and pay will be made Those needing
food go to nearest military station. where
they will get 1t. Let me know roads they
have commenced on, and number of men
working. We want action at once.
GUY V. HENRY.
Major General Volunteers"
! was obliged to return home on the 18th
and could give him very little aid but he
pushed on the work, and on April issued
general order to all post commanders to
buy food for the needy, 1.-The War Depart
ment having forbidden the issue of ratfons
to Porto Ricans."
General Henry's energetic measures have
been effective. The following letters from
native officials show the change wrought in
eleven days, and / have no doubt the stu
alton has continued to improve:
"ALCALDE'S OFFICE.
"COROZAL April >, 1899.
"Mr. Roy Stone, San Juan, Porto Rico:
Honorable Sir-As soon as we returned
We wrote TO General Henry. soEtciting one
hundred rations for the present. We had
prepared tools for the road building, and
yet nothing has been heard in the one
thing or the other. The poor are driving us
crazy, for we have nothing with. which to
relieve their great necessities We still
hope for the compliance with your prom
iSeS. Very respectfully,
JOSE j: LOUBRIEL. Secretary"
From the acting alcalde of Utuado to
Charles T. Rainey of Washington, dated
April 13, 1899:
Since your departure the government has
placed $500 900 for the improvement of the
Iodus anu 10 save from misery the poor Ia
borers who have been without work This
has normaliZed the condition of the latter,
apd they are grateful to General Henry and
the government of the United States
Here in Utuado in this week there are
$50 laborers working on the road to Ad-
juntas, and those of Adjuntas are working
this way in considerable numbers; and from
Arecibo coming this way, 800. They are
also working in the other towns of the
island.
with these measures the country has
been tranquiliZed."
did not say on my return, and was not
even reported to have said, that 100 600
number had been for weeks without bread
or meat or medicine for the SICK which
was quite within the truth.
While this disposes of the claim of CON
tradiction, which / would not have no.
ticed except that 1t throws damper on all
efforts toward removing the causes of dis
tress In the island, ] must still be allowed
word on the general subject, for 1 believe
1t to be of the utmost Importance to the
people of this country
1t Is true that the laborers In these dis
tricts are 'itranquilized," but with the pres
ent rate of expenditure the treasury of the
island Will be empty in a few weeks, and
what then? An army OF men who have ac-
CURED the habit, and, in their own eyes the
right, of support by the government, will
be burned loose.
Without the action Of Congress the gov
eminent can do little or nothing toward
restoring the business of the island or re-
placing the markets 1t has lost and unless
the people of the United States can be in
duced to buy its products we must face the
prospect of dismal failure at the outset in
the most hopeful field of expansion
Respectfully, ROY STONE
New York, May 5, 1889.