Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-01
TEACHING Of ENGLISH
The Progress of Education in the Island of
-
Porto Rico.
Gen. Henry. Gbod Syork in Making
Roads and fSroy4tiing Schools
and Feathers.
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star


Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.
SAN JUAN, Porto Rico, April s, 1899
| The insular commission is still here.
| quietly pursuing its Investigations. 1t has
visited a considerable number of the most
important centers of the population in the
| island and has collected a large amount of
valuable Information. 1t met here the
other evening and had an interesting inter
view with some fifty representative farmers
from different parts of the island. These
farmers find themselves beset with many
difficulties, and are making an effort to ig-
more politics and organize for the promotion
of their own interests. They have issued
a call for a larger meeting on the I'D. Here
and there they find that merchants at sea-
ports have combined to keep down the price
of farm products, which they are in part
better able to do on account of the bad con-
dtion Of roads. They therefore. cry out
against monopoies in trade, and in favor
of good roads and schools. General Henry,
through the greater efficiency of the In
terror Department and the special aid of
Major Hills, distinguished engineer has
now 5000 men at work on the roads who
would otherwise be idle and crying for
bread.
English Teaching.
General Henry has issued an order ap-
pointing fifteen Americans as supervisors
| of English teaching in the island Their
| headquarters will be at the following
places. each supervisor being assigned to a
| district: San Juan, Coamo. Ponce Yauco,
San German. Mayaguez, AguadiIlo and
| Arecibo. Their salaries will be paid from
| the insular treasury, and the quarternas-
| terS department of the army will furnish
transportation for visiting the schools of
| their districts. 1t has been General Hen
| rvs purpose TO cisplace no Porto Rican
teachers now employed in the schools but
| to provide them with an opportunity to
| learn English, In order that they may be in
| a position to contil ue in service when Eng
| iish is required and taught in all the
| schools of the island. The supervisors will
hold teachers meetings at various points
| in their districts. instructing the teachers In
| English, and incidentally in school methods
| They Will hear English classes in the
! schools twice week, and also superintend
| the distribution of English books and of
| all school supplies furnished by the bureau
| of education. The natives are well salts
| fed that English is not to displace their
| own tongue, but furnish them additional
| advantage in their career as American citi-
| zenS.
| The poor show special qualification that
| it is to be taught in all the schools. and
| General Henry in paying money from the
| general treasury for the benefit OF educa-
| ton has ordered the English readers in
| Guided aOng the items of this expenditure
| and an English reader goes into the hands
| or every poor child. In some instances
1 tiitie Is tFIutLct Oh marked enthuSia
| this study. gentleman from Boston
writes the bureau of education from his
! wandcrings in the island: Il was surprised
to meet number of little boys and girls
| in the suburbs of Naraniito who had read
| Appletons First Reader by themselves
| They showed exceptional interest, pro-
| nounced well and clapped their hands for
| joy when / told them that some time they
| would have American teachers to teach
| them English"
| Declaration for Education and An
nexation.
| The new political platform which has Just
| appeared significantly declares on the sub
| ject of education:, In this new acquisition
| to the United States, IN order to promote
| education throughout. we favor the estab-
lishment of free public and non-sectarian
| schools sufficient to afford to every child
growing up III the land the opportunity of
| good common school. educa ton. We believe
| that the English language, soon to be the
| official language, should be taught in all
| our schools, thus laying the fOuudation fit
| ting our island for place as a free state
! of the Union" This new platform appears
| both in English and Spanish. The English
| IS not the best, as may be seen by the quo
| tations. BY many its issue at the present
| time is regarded as significant. Its tone
and spirit in marked contrast to the
utterances of Mr.. Rivera before he left for
| the United States. Indeed, ma!ay Of his fol
| lowers in his absence indicate a readiness
to say, These are my sentiments \ con-
siderable number of leaders have subscribed
| to these declarations but chief among
| them are Mr.. Rosy, DR.. Barbosa, Dr.. Del
| Vale, the present secretary Of the interior,
and Mr.. Degeteau, who recently resigned
that office on account of his health. and
others who have long been the opponents
of Mr.. Rivera. In introducing their plat
form they declare for definite and sincere
| annexation to the United States"
| Fitness for SeIf-Government.
In their platform they hail with pride
| their annexation to the United States and
pledge themselves as men to do all in their
power to improve their government. They
indorse and commend President Mckinley
| and contrast the present condition with
| the misrule under Spain 1t is their belief
that the people of Porto Rico can be trust
ed with the civil government of the island.
| and they recognize their duty to await the
action of Congress- and express a desire
| while under military government that all
| civil offices should be filled by men capable,
| honest and of unqueStioned loyalty TO the
| government of the United States, and dis
| posed to act singly for the best interest
| of the island and the common country. In
this they see an opportunity afforded them
| TO demonstrate their fitness for self-goV-
ernment They declare their devotion to
| the Constitution Of the United States, and
| that every lawful citizen rlch or poor,
| native or foreign born should be guaran-
| teed the privilege OF one free ballot in pub
| lie elections, and to have that ballot duly
| counted They declare in favor of free
dom of speech and of the press. and OPP
pose any union of church and state.
| Visit of the Secretary of War.
| The event on thu island this week and
here today has been the visit of Secretary
A!ger and his party, From the hour they
| arrived in Ponce they have continued to
| receive most favorable manifestations from
| the people. Special attention was paid them
| at Ponce; and at every station across the
| island. Today they were met at Rio Pie
| dras in a special car by Gen. Henry and his
| secretaries, Gen. Grant, the alcalde and
! others, and escorted to the city. At noon
| they were entertained at luncheon by the
| alcaide. Sixty plates were laid. Later
| they took carra gesGand visited Fort MORO
| and Fort San Cristobal. At o'clock there
| was military review and salute to the
! Secretary At 49, PERCEPTION was ten
| dered them by tia iSoniety for the Banefit