The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-04
CONDITIONS IN PORTORICO
Gravity of the Situation in the
Caribbean Colony.
General Davis, Military Governor of
the Island. En- Route Ia Washing
ton TO Confer With the frcsi
dent - Planters Threatened with
Eviction by Money Lenders.

Gen. George w. Davis, Military Gov
crnor of Porto Rico, is expected to arrive
in Washington today from New York, hay-
ing been ordered TO report at the Capital
for conference with the President on mat
tiers appertaining to the civil and military
rule Of the island. The conference at the
White House is set for tomorrow morning,
when all details of the subject will be cx-
haustively discussed, and plans adopted
in accordance with the results arrived at.
The disastrous hurricane which visited
the island and wrought such havoc, will
be held responsible for many changes in
whatever plans may have originally been
in course of preparation. and Gen. Roy
Stone. who has Just returned from Porto
Rico. is on record as saying that the CON
dition Of the island is one of extreme
gravity.
Two years ago" said General Stone,
tine coffee planters of Porto Rico were
rich and prosperous. Their dependents
numbered nearly 2OO,OOo and were COM
Portable and contented. Their estates were
worth over S4OO0O,OOO, and were paying
They owed few million dollars, on which
they were paying from 10 TO "a per cent
interest 10 the Spanish money lenders,
but their business was so good that they
paid this interest easily. and instead OF
paying off the principal, they cleared more
land and planted more coffee. This may
not have been wise, but IL was enterpris-
ing and entirely human.
Our war with Spain cut off their open
Spanish market and much OF the European
market, which had been reached through
Spanish channels. We cut OFF their Cuban
market and their coffee was unknown and
therefore unsaleable in the United States.
Therefore the crop Of 1898 was left on their
hands. and when the hurricane came 1t de-
stroyed their warehouses, dwe. lings, mills,
and machinery, utterly soaking and de-
.troying the stored crop and tearing t1e
growing berries from the trees. In one
night they lost S25, 0O0. coo. General Henry
IN January last issued decree deferring
the collection of debts for one year, but
this naturally injured their reiit. and
after the hurricane losses they could not
get dollar TO hire labor. As a sequence
their plantations were neglected, and the
rank tropical underground has made them
impenetrable jungles. in which the next
crop will be lost unless they can imme-
diately get the necessary. help to put an
army OF laborers at work 10 clear the plan
tations.
Meanwhile their creditors are preparing
to foreclose under the Spanish law, which
only requires thirty days for compete eyic-
ton. There are no purchasers in sight, and
unless Congress comes to their relief in
some way the property VIII pass into the
hands OF the money lenders. These latter
have sent agents here 10 try and prevent I
that while the planters have no money to
employ representatives, and seemingly no
one to help iheir cause. They are trusting
entirely 10 Congress and the American peo-
pie. and little do these know of their real
distress
In view of the facts quoted. officials in
the War Department are unanimous in
their assertions that unless General Davis
report TO and conference with the Presi-
dent call forth the most drastic measures
at the hands of Congress, the condition oil
the people Of our Caribbean colony will be
most pitiable. They say that If the fore
closure proceedings are carried out, hun
dreds OF formerly wealthy planters and
their families will be turned into the world
without penny and their dependents left
to shift for themselves. The conditions
which they now face are more deplorable
than any in their history yet while there
has been some wild talk of wholesale de-
struction of property rather than have il
fall into the hands of the Spaniards, this
threat will not il is thought by those in
position 10 know. be carried out.
General Stone is of opinion ii should be
the first work of Congress TO save the land
for the people who made il what il was
before the great storm, and 10 do so i'm
mediately. He said:
Just what should be done is not easy
to say but it must be something better
than another extension OF payments. The
people need men to clear the land and
harvest the crops. and their ability TO get
these depends solely upon their command
of ready cash to pay for them"
II is stated in department circles that
the conference tomorrow between the Pres
ident and General Davis is expected TO
lead to a satisfactory adjustment OF affairs
in the island through recommendation
10 Congress pointing out the condition OF
affairs there and suggesting the proper
remedial legislation.