The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-13
p. C. HANNA ON PORTO RICO.
Former Consul There Thinks II Will Prove
Our Most Valuable Acquisition.


| Our Most Valuable Acquisition.
Philip G. Hanna, who was the last of the United
States consuls 10 San JUAN Porto Rico says that
that island will provo 10 be the best territorial
acquisition made by this country in the past forty
years. Mr.. Hanna gave UP the consuship Aug.
! and is now In this country enjoying rest after
his official labor.
| Porto Rico, b." said the former
| CONSUL lis not like the other islands
that have into possession in.
| asmuch as there IL not spark Of that insurEent
feeling among the inhabitants that there is in the
| other islands The islanders as a people are not
| aggressive; they not contentious nor arc they
OF that class that in its leisure moments compares
its condition with that Of the classes above il in
order TO find some Of discomfort hatred to
! the existing order Of things They are philo-
! sophical TO fault and when they see that thing
| will not go exactly in the direction that they
would have IT, they accept the situation and wait
" After the Porto Ricaas have been
while under United States rle,
| that is, after form Of self
| with all the legal benefits that
accrue thcrefrom, they will be found to be
the best American citizens outside the States,
and more than that they will prove to be
better citizens than many within the States.
When Uncle Sam got Porto Rico he got a
good thing, and all that is necessary now is to
place it under free and liberal go, eminent
"As class, the Islanders arc Industrious and
moral and the women are very religious Il
hos been said by that the marriage laws were
not held In very high esteem by the poorer people,
but there is a cogent reason for that According
to the religious training Of the people no marriage
among Porto Ricans was considered binding UNI
less the ceremonies were performed by the Church
Now in order for poor man to get a Church mar
rage in Porto Rico he would have to pay the
accumulation Of two years savings Rather than
do that he says TO his wife. We will take this
money and furnish a house and therein bring up
| our children During my two years soourn on
the island I have known Of a great many cases
of such marriages and do not think can cite one
where both parties have not observed for each other
| respect and loyalty. When the United States
established military government on the island.
they legalzed all such marriages by a military
law. and to-day Porto Ricans can be legally united
in marriage without its costing them dollar.
NINETY nine one -hundreths of the islanders are
Roman Catholics and will always continue in that
faith. During and before the war it was said by
those in authority on the island that if the United
States should gain foothold the islanders re-
ligion would be taken away from them but il was
only question. weeks before they found out differ
emily. l consider it one Of the foremost duties Of
| the Roman Catholic Church Of America to take
hold of the religious training Of the Porto Ricans
1T was thought by the majority Of the people in
| the United States that Just the
| war was and temporary form
| of American government was established
| on the island. the time would then be
| ripe for American capital and American indus
try to step right in and take hold but such not
| the l received instructions from Washing
ton to send broadcast through the States circular
u the effect that Porto Rico not yet ready for
| an invasion of American capital. and that it would
| not be ready until Congress had decided upon some
| lastn, form OF government for the island. When
| government has been established and courts have
| been organized and laws have been made there
| will be no place under the control of the United
States where American capital can be invested
70 better advantage
| From what have learned from inside sources
| of the Governments intentions toward Porto
| Rico. think that n territorial government will be
established and then, when all revenue duty on
exports into the United States and imports from
the States abolished such state Of prosperity
| will begin in the island never was known
| before All that money now being collect
| cd by officers will go into
the pockets Of the poor man and then he
will be able TO cloth himself better feed him
self better and enjoy liz in every way better than
| he ever did before. The possibilities Of the aert-
| cultural development of the island are without a
peer in any country. The tobacco. coffee fruits
| and sugar grown on the island world famous
for their excellence, and with the aid of modern
| farming implements and American capital the
island will be the richest agricultural spot in the
| world
| There three classes Of people who make
| I'D the l. 900 900 inhabitants Of Porto Rico the
Indian aborigines. the native Porto Ricans who
| IL. acL nd tha Spa Md -
| dams and the blacks mostly laborers, and
| there is very little love lost between them and the
| Spaniards They compose nine tenths of the
| inhabitants and their hopes are centred in the
! future government to be established for them
by this country. Their chief desire is to be edu-
Gated and TO have their children after them edu-
Gated. This could not be done under the old
Spanish rule. whereas now they believe It 10 be
| only question OF months
Every cent OF revenue that this Government is
now collecting on the imports or exports of Porto
Rico is being expended on the improvement of the
condition OF the island Public schools are be-
ing established in all the smaller towns and vii
| la9ea The large cities being cleaned and
improved throughout Estimates on new pub
lie buildings being taken and everything
possible in the way OF modern improvement that
can be done is now appropriation
Since the regular troops have taken the place
of the volunteers on the island, there has been
no trouble with the military government OF Porto
Rico When the volunteers In charge there
used TO DO considerable friction between them and
the islanders Volunteer American soldiers arc
not the best kind of men to garrison foreign ter
ritory Their ideas of discipline rather vague,
and when they have the least Bit of rope they are
| able TO keep things pretty well stirred up No
one can question their ability TO fight. for they
have proved that On the other hand. the regu-
lars are not only good fighters but they dis
ciplned and orderly well They accept their
position and responsibility and when ordered,
obey The Government mado wise move