Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-06
SAN JTJAN. Porto Rico, April 30, 1912.

San j IAN, 1OIlO IiCo <Apil IL ~, AcA~.
No island of the tropic seas has a
brighter prospect for the future than
Porto Rico. Blessed with every good
thing that nature can bestow upon 1t
fertile lands. splendid tropical climate,
and people as Industrious as are to be
found within the tropics-Porto Rico now
has a touch of Anglo-Saxon rule and
Anglo-Saxon enterprise. Nowhere in all
the history of the tropical world is there
a brighter page of colonial development
than that written in Porto Rico. The
United States has transformed its govern
ment from one whose main purpose was
the exploitation of the people into one
for the uplifting of the masses.
Some time ago William Jennings Bryan
visited the island. After a period of OBJ
servation there he declared that the peo-
pie of the United States do not realize
what valuable asset they possess in the
Island of Porto Rico. He added that
Americans have good reason to be proud
possession. He declared it to be his opin-
ion that Porto Rico will in the years to
follow the opening of the Panama canal
constitute the base from which the United
States will operate to capture the trade
of the eastern countries of South America,
just. as the Panama canal will serve as
the base of operations in the battle for
the west coast trade of that continent.
When the United States took over the
island. with the full assent of it's people.
and even with a hearty welcome from
them, it was day of good fortune to
the American people. 1t served to give
this country practical domination of the
entrance to the Caribbean sea. With
Key West dominating the Florida strait
passage. Guantanamo the Windward pas
sage, and Porto Rico the Virgin and Mona
passages, the main entrances to the re-
gion of the Caribbean are largely con-
trolled by the navy of the United States.
This country has overlooked, in the past,
a number of other opportunities which
would have been an element of strength
in the Caribbean region. At one time.
just after the civil war, the United States
had the opportunity to acquire from Den
mark the Island of st. Thomas, with it's
magnificent harbor of Charlotte Amelia,
for a song. During the presidency of
Gen. Grant we had the opportunity to
acquire what is now the Republic of
Santo Domingo by annexation. If we
today possessed that territory it would
constitute an important asset in the domi-
nation of the Atlantic entrance to the
Panama canal
One of the problems of the future in
Porto Rico is the question Of the perma-
u0nL TSld-
Permanent Relationship tionship
an Important Problem. exist he.
tween the United States and the island.
All of the people in Porto Rico are united
in desire for citizenship. There is one
party which will never be satisfied with
that. Its rallying cry is, Statehood or
independence" That the latter will never
come is generally agreed, and the best
informed people in the island assert that
the majority of Porto Ricans do not de-
sire it. They have in mind the expe-
rience of Cuba. which, they believe dem
onstrates that the people have much
more wholesome rule under American
control of their affairs than they could
have with independence.
1t is also true that the masses at large
do not desire independence. They still
have in mind the days of poverty and
disease, whose end began only with the
beginning OF American rule. They feel
that this rule has been beneficent and
wholesome. But, while the party which
favors independence is made up of that
class Of people who get rich by the ex-
ploitation of their unfortunate brethren,
the party which desires statehood is
much larger in numbers and much more
influential in position. And, in spite of
the diplomatic way in which President
Taft has served notice upon them that
citizenship does not mean ultimate state
hood and that they need not hope for
such a relation. there are thousands who
always will feel that they are asking
only their rights, that they are entitled
to look forward to the day when Porto
Rico will be one of the sisterhood of
states.
The majority Of the people of Porto
Rico will be well satisfied with citizen
ship and continued close commercial rela-
lions with the mainland. They believe
that in their island there are vast posi-
bilities which may better be developed
under American control than in any
other way. With it's splendid climate
and it's easy distance from the United