Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-05
REPLIES TO G0MPERS

His Visit Did Much Good, but he Must
Have Got a Wrong Impression
as to Some Things.
eve came to the United States for the
purpose of making preliminary arrange
ments for floating an insular loan Of from
So 100000 to $5O00.OO0," said Mr.. William r.
Willoughby, treasurer of the insular gov
. eminent of Porto Rico. to a Star reporter
today.
1.-THE Porto Rican house of delegates au-
thorized a commission composed of Regis
H. Post, auditor of the insular government:
Mr.. Manuel DOmemeck.s member OF the
insuiar house of delegates, and myself to
come to the United States to make the
preliminary arrangements for floating a
loan to be used in public improvements.
continued Mr.. Wilioughby, land after a
talk with the Secretary Of the Treasury
am convinced that our mission will be sue
cessful.
You will recall that the United States
government refunded to the insular govern
ment of Porto Rico some 100000 that
had been collected in customs to be used
in public improvements. This money mas
been almost entirely expended in the build
ing of roads and school houses throughout
the island. We have built more miles of
road and ten times more school houses DUR
ing the American control of the island than
was done under the entire Spanish regime,
and we desire to keep up the good work,
not only in the building of roads and school
houses but in other public works. We need
a central penitentiary, which will cost
about 100000, and it is our intention to
build one or more new piers at the various
ports.
I'VE wish the Secretary of the Treasury
to accept the Porto Rican bonds as collat-
eral on the same basis he has accented
those of the Philippines and Hawaii, and
after extended interview with him we
think that he will accept our bonds under
the same conditions. OF course, such ac-
ton will give us a tremendous advantage
in placing them on the market
Mr.. Gompers' Visit.
Mr.. Willoughby's attention was called to
an address made by Samuel Gompers, presi-
dent of the American Federation of
Labor, on the evening of March "a at the
Central Labor Union reception rendered him
on his return from an extended visit to
Porto Rico. a
II want to say emphatically as I can
that we of the insular government were
glad to see President Gompers when he
came to Porto Rico. We are of the opinion
that his visit was of great benefit to the
residents. He went all over the Island and
preached to people that it is difficult for
the officials of the insular government to
reach He preached good Americanism and
got the people to appreciate the good
wishes and kindly solicitation of the people
of the United States for the Porto Ricans.
His addresses were full of sound sense and
tended in large degree towards allaying
factionaliSm and petty strife, and while his
visit might not have been entirely success
full from his standpoint it was truly bene-
fetal. But many of the statements made
in that address of Mr.. Gompers are mis-
leading, to say the least. L am afraid ne
saw many conditions through dark glasses.
Naturally ne was shown the worst condi-
lions just one visiting the national capt.
tai on a like mission would be shown the
slums. He could hardly help getting an
exaggerated view.
LAS he himself says, the conditions could
not be contrasted with the conditions under
them with the conditions in the other
islands of the West Indies He knew MOTH
ing of either. Tourists who are constantly
visiting the island say that the conditions
the other islands of the West Indies they
have visited My own impression, after
nearly three years in the island is that
there has been great Improvement The
poverty Is more apparent than real The
shacks to which Mr.. Gompers refers are
really all that many Of the natives, espe-
cially In the agricultural districts, need.
There is no cold, and a bare shelter from
tain Ii is, they are more healthful than
many of the crowded tenements of the
United States. In countries that are nota-
bly, agricultural improvements are neces-
sarily slow. and the progress made under
the United States is not appreciated, great
as 1t is. One cannot make work for labor
ers in an agricultural community like what
can be done in city, where there are fac
tories and other business houses They
simply have to do agricultural work, and
they can make this for themselves.
Not Quite Recovered From Hurricane.
1T is quite true that the natives have not
recovered from the havoc wrought by the
hurricane several years ago. The coffee
plantations were ruined and it takes years
for the trees to grow again. The planta-
tons are gradually being brought back into
better condition. Coffee is bringing a better
price than has been the case for years II
as is the desire of the insular government
Congress would arrange reciprocity treaty
with Spain SO that Porto Rico coffee could
be shipped there it would of course greatly
benefit the island.
Now so far the help of the insular
government for the islanders is concerned
we have done much in the way of public
improvements, the building of roads. school
houses. etc; toward placing large sum
money III the hands of the people by giving
them employment of these works, and the
principal purpose of my trip to the United
States at this time is an effort to float
loan that Will enable us to continue these
public works and thus continue the aid to
the people.
Sugar and tobacco have doomed under
present conditions and many thousands of
dollars are being expended I'm orange Gull
ture. 1t takes from four to five years for
an orange grove to be profit-making, so this
work IS necessarily slow
Referring to Mr.. Gompers' statements as
to the great amount of poverty in the ISL
and. Mr.. Willoughby said:
Il should say generally that practically
every statement of Mr.. Gompers that there
is so much more poverty now or worse con-
ditions than existed under the Spanish
rule. or that the conditions are worse than
they are in the other islands of the West
indies Is entirely erroneous.
I'm the interior of the island a great
many OF the people have suffered from
tropical anaemia. which makes them look
az though they were overcome by starva-
ton. and until recently 1t was supposed
that this condition was really caused by
inadequate nourfshment. But 1t has been
positively determined that the anaemia is
due to a parasite In the intestines, and
specific cure for it has been discovered. In
addition to the. general appropriation fer
the public health the insular government
has made special appropriation for treat
ing these anaemic people, and the work Is
now being done with great success.
No People Die Of Starvation.
There is no reason why any of the peo-