The times., 1899-03-13
THE PORTO RIcAN SITUATION.
Natives Are Dissatisfied md Ready
for m Inrising.

for nm Uprising.
New York. March 12.-Many Of the Off
GERS of the Forty seventh Regiment. New
York Volunteer Infantry. bslieve that an
uprising in Porto Rico is only matter
of leadership and few months. A leader
is bound to appear. The island is full. Of
agitators. The rebellion may not be a
success. but its suppression will cost lives
ard money.
The headquarters of the Forty-ssven. h
was at Casuas. a filthy town OF 1900 in
habitants and hot-bed OF rebellion. The
present leaders are priests who iost their
income by the change OF rulers.
Colonel Hubbsll. OF the Fortyszyenth.
a man of experience says OF the general
tenor of feeling in Porto Rico:
We will have trouble in Po.to Hi-o.
There is bound to be an uprising sooner
or later. The planters are d.ssat shad b.
cause OF the refusal of the United states
to admit their products free OF duty. and
the lower classes because they want f-ee-
dom and hate the American s1idic. "a a.I3
as much as they lid the spanish.
We had much troublc IN the island.
Our duty was to police the tosus ana
make the natives clean up. We made
Caguas look Ike new town. tEt SIC
made enemies in doing 30. Ga. nrst troa-
BILE w3s with the Back Hand. a lrr.-t
society which. IS nsa- as I can Irafu.
mixes politics and e.ime. We So ihe
members in control. but Of corrse Il vas
I impossible 70 break 70 up.
IS seen IS the Forty seventh vas or
T dsrei home and the natives learned % g.
! they became more iuE0lgnt ard iiaord riy
& The natives have thIosu aEa- sFsry op-
portunity offered 20 them. We tried 90
make them respect the Law and the
i officers d the las. We msfs more of a
show in a change OF adtoinIsi ration than
I they were aCtUstomCd to They pretend
7 "a 10 Ike II. but that vas an
The people want a local seif-Fovaru-
ment. Every native wants 10 BE- some sort
I or political boss. When thay cant set
what tEey want they ciamor for their
rights
The planters are dissatisfied because
they arc product poor. They have big
. crops OF sugar. tObacCO a.d coffee on hand
( with 10 markets When the troops nrsi
. landed they thought that a surrender
meant that the United States would open
her ports to their products free OF duty
When they learned otherwise they became
dissatisfied
"Of course the lower classes depend or
the planters for a livelihood. and only
reflect their feelings. These feelings oi
discomfort are augmented by professional
agitators. who pass as members of an cd
ucational alliance.
The War Department has been deceived
By the apparent good feelings of the ma.
tive. He is a treacherous person, meeting
us always with a bouquet and knife
They tried to crawl up>on our sentries an,
knife them. Whenever our men met
suspicious looking native they always mad
him hold Up his hands. Usually they foun,
knife in his sleeve.
The Porto Rican is not a great fighte
and hates and fears the American soldier
but he has pluck enough TO go into an up
rising if ne has a leader.
I'm told the conditions at Ponce an'
San Juan are as bad as they are at Caguas
1t is a satisfaction TO me TO know 1 hol,
the same views as General Henry FORMING
them from independent investigations.
The preventive for an uprising is NOR
soldiers TO police the island for three year
at least. The natives have had things to;
much their own way. General Henry ha!
only three regiments of infantry and twt
batteries TO guard tine whole island. Unit
the natives learn more OF our ways ans
get away from the agitatoT's influence
more soldiers are needed. There is troubl
ahead in Porto Rico for the United States.