Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-29
OUR |NSULAR AFFAIRS
Suggestion for a New De-
partment Expected.
NEED Is App AREN L
OUTSIDE POSSESSIONS HAVE OUT
GROWN A BUREAU.
Peculiar Position Of Porto Rico-Bll
May Be introduced in Senate
by MI. Foraker.
NEED Is APPARENT T

! During the coming Congress it is expected
| the proposition to form O new department
| Of insular affairs will be discussed The
| fact Of an election being near at hand is
likely to prevent any action on this subject.
| but the general proposition, it is believed,
I will be considered.
| The need at this time for a department.
| to consider matters relating to tnsular or
| colonial affairs of the United States Is ap-
parent to every one who has anything to do
with the constantly increasing problems
| that come up in that connection The bu-
reau of insular affairs now attached to the
War Department, under the charge Of Col.
Clarence r. Edwards. has a staff Of 10)
clerks. and it is not able to do anything
| like the things that many people think it
should. If all the work that really relates
to the insular affairs Of the government
were brought together under single de-
partment it is said its proportions would be
such as to require not only a building
almost as large as those some of the other
departments ILL., but its Importance would
| be quite equal to the dignity that it Is sup
posed should attach to a great department
Of the government.
better uniflcation of colonial relations,
and more systematic supervision from the
capital. it is thought, can only be secured
| by definite representation of the island pos
sessions of the United States In the Presi-
Ueut 3 CABINET. Inc name ''nSuiar' rather
than colonial is preferred for such bu-
| reau, and as all the outlying territory of the
United States except Alaska is in the form
of Islands that term would be a correct one
to denote the portions Of the United States
that would come within the scope of such a
department.
Porto Rico's Peculiar Position.
One trouble with the present arrangement
is that an island like Porto Rico has not
hoo 1f,y,o how ~ a flof
many persons do not call at the insuiar
bureau to inquire something about Porto
Rican affairs, although it has had nothing
to do with that island since May l. 1900
There is nobody in Washington to answer
inquiries Of this cort and they are referred
to Gov. Hunt.
Certain Porto Rican governmental ac-
tivites have a supervision here, like the
bureaus of the Agricultural Department.
which are pursuing their work in the island,
the weather bureau and the coast survey,
but as a whole there is no administrative
headquarters here for Porto Rican affairs,
and but for the intense personal interest of
Secretary Root in the islands welfare its
government would have been far less sue
cessful.
The position Of Porto Rico IS anomalous
| 1t has been divorced from the United States
| III most Of its essentials; ii collects and
keeps it's own revenues. The things which
the government bureaus do for 1t are gra-
| tuitous. If cablegram comes here from
Porto Rico there is no one to whom 1t can
go short of the President, and he has too
much to do to attend to the questions which
| it may raise.
1t is believed by many that the Danish
West Indies will come into the United
| States before long. Guam and Tutuila Of
| the Samoan group are already dependen-
| cies, but without definite relations to the
national government. Secretary Moody
says that every time he mentions Guam at
a cabinet meeting 1t brings out laughter.
| For some reason that island has been as
sociated with SO many odd and amusing
| things that the American people do not In
| cline to view 1t seriously. And yet 1t is an
applicant for harbor improvements which
| will cost million dollars. 1t must either
| have such an appropriation or cease to
| serve the purpose intended, as Its present
| harbor is unsafe.
| The Philippines are now In a transition
| state. So far as its federal administration
| is concerned 1t is we'll managed from the
insular bureau Of the War Department, but
| there is no knowing when Philippine prob
| lens will outgrow this supervision. This
| lack of unity of administration Of those
| parts of the American dominion which have
! not been made states would be remedied, 1t
| is argued, by the establishment of a new
| department.
Suggestion Would Meet Opposition.
| 1t is anticipated that any suggestion for
| the formation of a department of insular
| affairs would meet with vigorous criticism
| from the minority in Congress. Such a
| movement on the part of the republicans
| would be met with the charge that the
colonial system Of the United States had
| been established permanently, although
| there has never been any well-defined idea
that all the islands that now belong to the
| nation should forever remain in their pres
| ent condition. 1t has remained an open
| question how long they should remain as
| they are. 1t has been prOblematical how
| soon in the future they may be so far ad-
| vanced as to warrant their addition to the
| Union at first with all the rights Of terri
| tories and then with the added rights OF
! states. That, however, is a matter that
| every one not entirely opposed to expansion
| regards as problem for the future.
! A bill to form such department may be
| introduced in the Senate during the COM
| ing winter by Senator Foraker.