Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-18
MINIS LOOMS
BE Talks Interestingly on Porto
Rio@pp Affairs.
PEOPLE NEED TO- Be EDUCATED
Venezuela is in, Great Need Of More
$k
Railways.
THE CANAL QUESTION

Mr.. Francis B. Loomis. minister of the
United States to Venezuela. has arrived in
Washington from his post of duty, and will
remain a few days On his way north MFR.
LOOMS stopped at Ponce and at San Juan,
Porto Rico, and observed the condition of
affairs in that island
The Porto Ricans need an army of
school teachers as much as an army of oc-
cupation,' said Mr.. Loomis to a Star re-
porter today. 1.-THE first duty of this coun-
try will be to disseminate education among
these people, and it should be done by
American teachers. They must be taught
to view things from the American point of
view, as well as to speak the English Ian
guage.
Need to BE Taught Things.
"a lot of good American women can teach
them more things than reading, writing
and arithmetic, and that is what they need.
1 think the Porto Rcans are beginning to
realize this fact themselves and citizens of
the better classes are beginning to send
their sons to the United States to be edu-
Gated Several young men came up on the
boat with me- and the captain of the
steamer told me he had recently brought
more than 100 young Porto Ricans to the
United States to enter our schools and
colleges.
I would like to see this government es-
tablish an educational fund for the devel-
opment of the young Porto Rcans and to
provide schooling for them, so that arnbi
tious young men and women whose parents
are not wealthy may take advantage of
such resources.
Commercial prosperity in Porto Rico will
increase after the natives have been edu-
Gated to a higher standard of living than
they now possess. They must be taught 10
demand more, to know that they are men
and have chance in the world. to seek bet
ter living conditions. and when we have
aroused this feeling in them they will con-
sumo more of our products
"All agricultural and manufacturing
methods are antiquated in Porto Rico. In
making their sugar they extract about )
per cent of the saccharine matter, where
they should get or 8. They will soon learn
to adopt American machinery and methods,
however" -sn
Kindly Feeling Toward Americans.
What is the feeling in the island toward
the A-nericanS?'
- L think the Porto Ricans are very kindly
disposed toward us. Some of them demand
civil government Immediately, instead of
the military regime; but 1 doubt whether
they are ready for it. The only dissatis-
faction which exists. is fomented by little
group of politicians. who were formerly
Spanish office holders. -
THE greatest embarrassment under
from the tariff regulations They want
unrestricted trade with this country. They
have lost the markets which Spain former
ly furnished, and have not gained anything
from this country. -.E
Il was told that one reason why Ameri-
can hotels had not been established, in re-
Spouse to the immediate demand for them
was on account of the tariff of 30 per cent
building materials. Capitalists were
afraid to pay such duty in the face of
the uncertainty as to the tariff in the
future. ST. ,,,s ~
General Davis has established provision
al courts in the island which Will relieve
to a great extent the friction which has
existed heretofore in respect to legal ac-
tons" r.
Conditions in Venezuela.
Mr. Loomis also talked interestingly
about the material conditions in Venezuela,
eschewing, for obvious reasons, reference
to political affairs in that country.
THE question of transportation is of
great moment in Venezuela," he said. 1.-THE
country needs more railways and more
steamship lines. / do not know of any bet
ter opening for foreign capital than to
build a railway of severty-five or eighty
miles in length from the Orinoco river to
the gold fields. 1t is good country. no
bad grades, no heavy trestling and plenty
of timber.
The gold country will be developed
rapidly, for it is rich in gold and other
metals and minerals. At present the sup
plies have to be hauled on mules from the
river to the interior. l think it would be
possible to get a good subsidy from the
government for a railroad
The farmers of Venezuela are learning
to diversity their products. Coffee has been
the staple. but the competition of Brazil
has lowered the price until coffee raising
Is not so profitable. The best cacoa in the
world is raised in Venezuela, bringing 35
and 80 cents a pound, and the farmers are
turning their attention to its culture. An
American syndicate has gone into the coun-
try to grow caeoa on large scale.
Correcting Waterways.
South American countries are now de-
voting attention to an idea which is upper
most in the public mind, to connect the
great waterways of the continent by
canals The whole of South America can
be reached by the Amazon, the Orinoco
and the Rio de la Plata. These streams are
not far apart at their headwaters, and 1t
is proposed to connect them by canals
That would go a long way toward solving
the transportation problem, and will prob
ably be executed in the near future"