The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-14
Washington, d. c.

tN Washington, d. Z.
YWANI to tell sou how Uncle Sar,
Z has attached the dynamo OF mod :.
d orn education to the dead wires of
the Porto Ricen brain. first visited
Porto Rico&in 1889, just after VIC took
over tho island. The country was
serni- barbnrous, Intelligence slumbcr
ed and the masses were mentally dead
In about 100000 people who wcrc over
ten years OF age not one in fve could
road Spanish. Tho people were moro
ignorant than the Cuhans and more so
than those of any other West Indian
island. Nomiaally, there were SEQ
schools which had hech run hy the
spanish, but in reality there was only
one public school building. and the
teaching was donc in private houses
to which only the children OF the poor
were admitted, without paying tuition.
The salaries were pitifuliy email. ana
many OF the teachers took bcarders to
AID in their support In some places
the echcol was held i'll the dining room.
and the pupils crowded out at meal
times to give place TO the diners The
reading books were made up of tho
ieEands of saints, and the geograph
were almost antedilurian. There was
little regularity OF attendance, and one
OF our school inspectors found an Inn
portant school closed when he stopped
there to visit 1T, because the teacher
and all the scholars had adjourned to
go TO cock fight.
AS to the girls school, these were
as rule mado UP of the daughters OF
the rich. Nowhere were tho pirls al
lowed in the same schools with tho
boys. and If town could not afford
tuo schools, the girls stayed at home.
Industrial schools there were none.
and the pupils all told, according tel
the Spanish statistics, were about 49,
600.
Moro schools Than We Have.
Such was the condition when Uncle
Een applied the dynamo. That was
Just about thirteen years ago. Look at
the situation to-day! l have the infor-
nation hot from the tropics. IL
comes 10 me through &. talk which /
had the other evening with DR.. Edwin
q. Dexter. the Commissioner OF Edu-
cation, of Porto Rico. He has had
charge of the schools for the past
tou. years. and has Just left Wash
1aston TO go back 10 his post He has
been here visiting our little brown
cousins 10 whom The Porto Rican gov
s-a7ncat has given scholarships in the
sreat universities. and has also been
p-epa- rms new plans for school de-
velopnen;- Said he:
Porto Rico now stands ahead of
sho United States in It's common school
FACILITIES. We have $500 schools i'll
an area OF 3,400 square miles. That
makes one school to every square mile
and hall: n the United States the
average is one for every nine square
miles. and there arc only one or two
states in the Union which are as
tniokiy dotted with schools as we are.
We have school buildings which have
cost over sSooooo, and many which
would be a credit to the United States
There Is ono At ..recibo which con
tsins twenty-five rooms. and another
At San Juan which cost $4,000
I'VE have now $4,000 children IN
the schools" DR.. Dexter went on.
''That is Is per cent of our popula
tion. or one in every eight men, ~o-
men and children in the country. It
Is a larger attendance proportionatelS
than that of any Spanish speaking pco-
pie OF the world, or of any country
IN the Western hemisphere. II is Ear
more than you will find in Spain OF
Portugal or any country of Southern
Europe, and II is twice the proper
ton of the school buildings of Cuba
or the Philippines Moreover, this per >
centage Is increasing the number OF
children IN our school. having doubled
IN the past four years"
Making American Citizens.
But what language do you teach
shese children, DR.. Dexter" I asked
care they still learning spanish? Or
are you teaching them our american
language aud American ways?'
The American Tag hioS ovor ever
Porto Rican schooihouse. and there
IS q special ceremony of raising {,
every non-inS. The children salute
The hsg as It goes up aad aa they do
70 they say:
~ pledge my allegiance TO my
fag and to the country which II rep
Ses*nts
This is universal. IN rainy days
.she tlag is raised Inside the patios. and
the same is so in ..sorTe OF the city
schools winch Ets6 on business street
II believe the children are proud OF
their .Americanisnl, and OF tho fact