Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-09-19
l%AT|N-AMERICANS
ARE A LIVE PROBLEM
Question of Best Way to As
simulate and Educate South
ern Races in Our Borders.
BY CHARLES

In the southwest section of the
Cnited States there are 800. 600 So
called "Spanish-Americans." who. by
the way, are neither Spanish nor Amer
lean. Their forefathers lived in Cali
fornia. New Mexico, Texas, Arizona.
Utah and Nevada, and 1t was then
their own land. This entire territory
Was originally Spanish. then Mexican,
and finally 1t came under the Amer
lean flag. Many of us wonder why
these Spanish-Americans are not as
loyal to the United States as most of
us think we are. When an English
man m to America we are out of
patience with him IT he does not inn
mediately take steps to become nat
uralized. But when an American set
Ties in England and becomes a citizen
of his adopted country we call him
an "Anglo-maniac.' and a renegade.
What a nation OF cyclists we Amer
leans are!
Now. the country In which these
Mexicans live is still to them their
native land-a part of Mexico. The
Americans are looked upon as intrud-
ers and as ar alien people. The Very
strength and success of the American
is a source of resentment to his Span
ish fellow citizen. We seem to forget
that there is a native pride which must
be overcome before this allen popu-
lation, long native to the soil, and also
an immigration population, can become
loyal American citizens.
Porto Rico.
Midway between North and South
America. n on the great line of
travel from Europe to the Pacific via
the Panama canal, is Porto Rico; about
half the size of New Jersey and about
i05 miles long by IS miles wide: noun
tainous in the center, with a fiat rim
n1Ir ito co0onoCf II hos a nvrio
ton of about 1900. 900. Its history-like
all countries with which Spain has had
to do is n of and blood
shed and tyranny. The Porta Ricans
themselves are Industrious and law
abiding and intelligent. The island is
from Panama, 1,420 miles from New
York and 1850 miles from the mouth
of the Amazon. On account of its
great agricultural SQUIRE it was
called by the S%paniards Porto Rico"
the rich port.
The total area of Porto Rico. includ-
ing the adjacent and dependent ISL
ands is 3,435 square miles. The aver
age number Of persons to the square
mile in 1910 was 325.5, and in 1899. 277.5.
The urban territory of Porto Rico in
1910-that is the places of $500 and Owe
contained 2 1924 Inhabitants. or 20.1
per cent of the total population; while
1898, 1892 inhabitants. or 1913 per cent,
lived in rural territory. The urban ter
ritory as it existed in 1899. contained
lbs. 703 inhabitants, or JAG per cent of
the total population; While S14,54O in
habitants, or 1914 per cent, lived in
rural territory.
About 100 miles south of Florida is
Cuba, the "Pearl of the Antilles'-73 80
miles long. With an area nearly as
great as Pennsylvania or Ohio. 1t has
a population of 2,O4S, $50. The number
of persons 10 years of age and over.
according to the census of 1907. was
1.4S1. 573. Of foreign whites there We're
l96,SSl. and the percentage of iliteracH.
was 25.6. Of the total number of col
ored persons-453. 714-the percentage
of illiteracy was So. The total native
white population was $50, 978, with the
percentage OF illiteracy Ala. About