The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-12-11
BY the iclent 81 the gnlseeq
states 20 the oonlEEess Now

IN Session II
on PoRTo RIcAN AFFAIRs
Reconnseads ,FnII CtetzenslIip For
Pdlto REcans After Telling Con-
Eress some Things He Saw.
~ ! ts Is gaA1--s .esit. S,4es. IS a Z
49, M, AI1ociatod 1srols1
WASHINGTON, D. G.. Dec. IL
Pri5e.ssfdent Roosevelt sent this special
message. to. Congress today:
To the Senate and Honse of Repre-
. sentatives:
ON. November 81 1 visited the
isiandrqof Porto Rico. landing at
Ponce. crossing BY the old spanish
road by Cayey to San Juan, and re-
turning next morning over the new
American road from Arecibo to
Ponce; the scenery was wonderfully
beautiful, especially among the
mountains of the interior, which con
stitute veritable tropic Switzerland
/ could not embark at San Juan be-
cause the harbor was not been dredg-
ed out and can not receive an Ameri-
can battleship l do not thing this
fact creditable to us as a nation, and
I earnestly hope that immediate pro
vision will be made for dredging
San Juan Harbor.
doubt whether our people as a
whole realize the beauty and fertil-
ity Of Porto Rico, and the progress
that has been made under its admir-
able government. We have just
cause for the pride In the character
of our Representatives who have adj
nfnistered the tropic islands which
came under our flags as result of
the war with Spain; and of no one
of them is this more true than Of
Porto Rico. It would be impossible
to wish more faithful, a more enc
tent and more distnterested public
service than that now being render
ed in the island of Porto Rico by
those in control of the insular gov
ern ment.
Good work In Education.
stopt at dozen towns all told.
and one of the notable features in
every town was the gathering of the
school children. The work that has
been done in Porto Rico for educa-
ton has been noteworthy. The
main emphasis, as is eminently wise
and proper, has been put upon pri-
mary education; but In addition to
this there is a normal school, an agrt-
cultural scnool, three industrial and
three high schools. Every EFFORT is
being made to secure not only the
BENEFITS of elementary education to
all the Porto Ricans OF the next gen
Grafton. but also as far as means Will
permit to train them so that the In
dustrial. agricultural and commerce
ial opportunities of the. island can
he utilized to the best possible adj
vantage. 1t was evident at glance
that the teachers, both American and
native Porto Ricans, we're DEVOTED to
their work. took the greatest pride in
1 it. and were endeavoring to train
their pupils, not only in mind. but in
what counts for far more than mind
in citizenship, that is in character.
Good Police system.
was very much struck by the ex-
ceIlent character both OF the insular
police and of the Porto Rican regi'
ment. They are both of them bodies
that reflect credit upon the American
administration fthe island. The
fnsuIar police are under the local
Porto Rican government. The Por-
to Rican regiment of troops must be
appropriated for by the Congress. l
earnestly hope that this body viii be
kept permanent There should GER
tafnly be troops in the island, and 1t
Is wise that these troops should be
themselves native Porto Ricans. It
would be from every standpoint a
mistake to perpetuate this regiment.
Sugar Cane and Tobacco.
In traversing the island even the
most cursory survey leaves the be-
holder struck with the evident rapid
lgrowth in the culture both Of sugar
cane and tobacco. The fruit indus
try is also growing. Last year was
the most prosperous year that the
island has ever known before or
since the American occupation. The
Itotar of exports and imports of the
Island was forty-hve millions Of doll
lars as against eighteen millions in
1901. This is the largest In the
islands history. Priorto the Ameri-
can occupation the greatest trade for
any one year was that Of 1885, when
it reached nearly twenty-thre mil-
n lions Of dollars. Last year, there