The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-18
PRAISE FOR PORTO RICO
GEN. ENR ENTHUSIASTIC OVER
THE ISLAND AND ITS PEOPLE.
Says the People All Look Forward 20
Becoming Americans-Needs Of
the

NEW YORK. May E.-Major General
Henry. United States volunteers. until re-
Gently military governor of Porto Rico. has
landed from the transport Mcpherson.
which arrived from San Juan yesterday. He
was accompanied by Mrs. Henry and his
daughter. Mrs. Benton. The party will re-
main in this city until Monday next. when
they will leave for Washington.
General Henry Is enthusiastic about Porto
Rico, its people and its possibilities. 1T Is
a wonderful country" he said. but we will
have 10 go slow in bringing about reforms.
Capital invested will bring large returns.
More than so per cent. of the value OF the
sugar cane is lost in the process Of grind
ing. The children are thirsting for knowl-
edge and the great need is good schools.
General Eaton is doing his fine work In this
respect. There is an English teacher In
each OF the ten districts. and English ID
taught in all Of the schools of San Juan
When / left San Juan 1 was given a recep-
ton in the theater at San Juan in which
over 1900 school children took part. They
sang American patriotic songs and several
of them delivered addresses in English. The
same thing took place at Ponce. where
there are five z lglish teachers.
The general conditions are very encour-
aging. Over 1900 men are at work on pub
lie Improvements, and we are spending over
100000 per month in this way. This is more
money than the men received from Spain all
their lives.
9TH Porto Ricans are anxious for a terri
toriai form Of government, but the question
is how are they going to get money if the
customs duties are wiped out. We are
spending large sums. and 1 introduced a
Uafor c1fpplu I'm Con Iuap In, fva uroaku
after L took hold. The Spanish had been at
work on the same thing for fifty years.
San Juan is as clean now as any city of the
South American republics. The people all
look forward TO being Americans.
With the exception OF a few disgruntled
politicians the island Is free from all III will
toward the United States. OF course, there
10 talk about an uprising. but there is really
no danger OF such a thing happening. The
Porto hicans lived for four hundred years
under Spanish rule and never caused much
trouble. L Travelled all over the island with
my orderly when there was talk OF a
Juntas TO tell me of an uprising l said: Go
back TO Adjuntas and dig many graves.
Rise tomorrow and L shall order out the
American soldiers to shoot the Porto Ricans
down and ill these graves He went home
and telegraphed me later that there would
General Henry maintained that Porto
Rico has the loveliest winter climate in the
world and a great hotel there would pay.
Torto Hico, ne sdiu, Is the place ior tuo
capitalist rather than for the poor man. AT
the present time there are thousands of the
poor class without employment The aver
age wage for unsixilled labor on plantations
is 60 cents per day, American money. The
fertility OF the land and warmth OF climate
make the demand for labor very small.
Il consider that during my administration
Of over five months the route TO prosperity
in Porto Rico was surveyed, a broad-gauge
roadbed made, the rails laid, the rolling
stock furnished and the locomotives started.
1t now remains, 1 believe. for capital 10 take
and operate the road. benefting the Porto
Ricans as well as increasing itself"