Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-23


because the conditions which retard this
| assimilation in the Philippines did not
exist in the West Indies.
But in spite of this general advance
critical cry sometimes is raised and also
a despairing one that the people are not
capable of improvement. A comparison
of conditions today with the conditions
In 1897 and subsequent years is answer
enough to this criticism. Yet back of it
all is basis which in the beginning
never was recognized. The negative in
clination to work: as the Porto Ricans
call it, does exist but no more so than in
other parts of the tropics, where sugar,
tobacco and coffee are cultivated success
fully.
The Source of the Trouble.
The scientists have managed to cover up
the source of the trouble by long name,
which drives most people away from its
consideration. The island government has
had better understanding of the truth and
the medical commission which was ap-
pointed has managed to make some of the
facts known.
1t is the experience of observers in thick
| ly populated tropical countries that taken
| as a whole, the inhabitants of Porto Rico
are the most anaemlc that are to be met
with anywhere. During the insurrection in
Cuba anaemia destroyed thousands and
| thousands of inhabitants. 1t was no exag-
geration to say that when American occu-
| patton began one-half the population was
| suffering from mild starvation long con-
| tinued. But this condition quickly disap-
| peared and within year everybody in
Cuba was able to get enough to eat and
drink and except in the orphan asylums,
| there were no traces left of anaemia.
On the contrary in Porto Rico which had
| been through no Instruction, the bulk of
| the population continued thin-blooded and
| incapable of severe labor. Many of the
| American officials still held to their belief
| that the only trouble was laziness and that
| If the people got out and worked harder
| they would soon become full-blooded and
| vigorous, and would not be content with a
| diet of roasted bananas and handful of
| beans. Sarcastic word pictures were drawn
| of the native Porto Rican lying in his ham,
mock and stretching out his hand to reach
the banana, while too indolent to pick up
the orange from the ground. A truer pic
ture would have been of families of dozen
huddled In miserable palm or bamboo
| shack. of single room. most of them half
SICK yet not understanding themselves what
| allied them.
In the course of time medical scientists
began to discover that it was not the or
| binary anaemla which comes from INSULT
cient nourishment. From that they ad-
vanced to the knowledge that it was a
positive, aggressive anaemia which instead
| Of waiting for victims, roamed around and
| sought them out. Then came more knowI-
edge or the parasite which gnawed the in
| testines and which created the appetite that
never was satisfied, but at the same time
permitted none of the manifestations of
physical Vigor which usually accompanies
from the earth and the carelessness of the
barefooted natives and the lack of cieanIi.
ness are its chief encouragement It may
| be that some of the Inhabitants are a.
tually dirt-eaters as claimed hut even n
the most backward section Of the island T
never saw any of this class.
It is the Hookworm.
II the doctors in the beginning had said
that the parasite was the hook-worn in
stead or giving 1t the long scientific name
ana ulssulsing its nature under learned
olsquisltlons, there would have been much
more popular knowledge in the United
| States of what the trouble is in Porto Rico
| as relates to the backwardness of the mass
| OF inhabitants. Now, however. the scjen-
| lists can be persuaded occasionally to dis
| cuss the hook-worm in terms of Common
understanding SO that the fact that the
| anaem1c condition of several hundred thou
sana PORTO R1cans may not be charged
entirely to themselves, and they be dis
| missed with the sneer that they are a
| worthless lot Of negroes
Cleanliness is one remedy which tho ax
perts urge, and that is a matter Of exsnnIa
| and practice. Though Porto Rico is filled
| with running streams, the natives never
| showed undue partially toward fresh water
| for bathing purposes. It is a long process
| but In time they will come to know the
vaiue or an occasional abluaion. After
tnat, or even before it, comes shoe leather.
Up TO the time of the American occupation
| 1t Is doubtful whether one-half of the in
| habitants had known the luxury of even
the crudest kind of a leather sandal.
1t has taken years also for Americans to
| learn another truth in regard to Porto
| Rico. This is that while good government
| Is of enormous benefit, the rapid extension
| of political rights which was made by the
United states could not in itself cure an
| economic condition. In spite of all that
| may be said, Porto Rico is an overcrowded
| little Island. If its resources were not so
| exclusively agricultural there might he
room for more, but since there are no mines
| OF consequence and no raw material for
manufactures. the native industries are al
| ways bound to be limited
insufficient Resources.
If the island. could be administered by
the United States Agricultural Department
| on purely scientific principles the products
would be more than enough for the million
| inhabitants. This is not practicable and
the people have to take the chances of ordi-
nary market demands. Sugar may be up
| one year. as it is now, and tobacco may be
doing fairly well. but these count for little
When conee Is down. and coffee usually is
down when Brazil seeks to market her crop
oner no opinion whether the Complaint
OF the Porto Ricans that the United states
has not done all 1t might have done to give
them profitable coffee market Is a lust
one. 1t Is a difficult matter to create ard
maintain an artificial market for a world
Wide staple when one country produces
three -fourths OF that staple, as is the case
condition which the Porto Ricans have to
face Is that the largest area Of the island
Is better adapted for coffee culture than for
any other purpose. To advise them to raise
less coffee Is like advising South Carolina
or Mississippi to raise less cotton. A large
proportion of tn, Inhabitants always must
be dependent on the coffee crop.
Island Too pouuloua