El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-02

j Z
- to Rico affords a delightful in
- PRODUCTION to a study Of the cOun-
tries OF the Caribbean region, countries
which are destined. with the compile
ton of the Panama canal. TO play an
important part in world pollJlcs, ana
whose destinies hereafter must D."
ven more intimately linked with our
own than heretofore. in visiting these
countries one has the opportunity 10
see all the sradatlons OF American IN
1uence from the absolute i'm Porto
PIrO through the formerly absolute In
Cuba through the customs house con-
troll in Santo Domingo, on down To
Guatemala where il has aVailed tHe
Iesst In makes a Study of contrasts
that is at once interesting and impress
sive. I'll, arc
fer as to lust what our relations win
the countries Of the Caribbean ought
to be. but there is no difference or
opinion as to the great economic ana
social benefits that nave oeeh G con
ferred upon the people Of Porto Rico
by the United States. That these pen
efits have been widely scattered among
all the people and not restricted to the
favored few o. the privileged classes
is cOncluslvely shown by statement
of conditions existing then and a resu-
me of conditions existing now
Porto Rico PrOspers.
The immense economic benefits con
ferred upon Porto Rico become evil
dent at the first glance at the status
tics Of the island. Its external com
Nmerce quadrupled in the decade pc
tween 1901 and 1911, and IL is still in
creasing at a rapid rate 1t now
amounts TO nearly SSU,uOO.oOO a year
Seven-eighths OF this trade is with the
United States, and In 1871 only i ON
er countries bought more goods OF the
American manufacturer than was
bought by Porto Rico
The expansion of internal business
has kept pace In seven years taxable
yalues on the island have increased
from less than 100000 TO more than
Sl6O.0OO,0O0. In single year the
amount Of the life Insurance policies
written in the island increased nearly
90 percent and the fire insurance near
" 40 percent
ture is the same story Of wellnigh un-
preCedeuted expansion. The sugar eN-
ported has increased fivefOld IN 10
years, and now approNlmates 35uUU0
tons q year. The exports OF cigars in
1911 were Il times greater than IN
1901.
Educational Advancement.
But the story OF Porto Rican pros
perity is not 20 be told entirely In
terms OF dollars and cents. Under the
Spanish regime the masses OF the peO-
pie were nliterate- When the island
school house in all its borders that
had been built for school purposes. The
number of children enrolled in the
schools was only -5,00o- Today six
while the ratio of increase in daily
attendance is even larger a thorough
system Of education. embracing ele-
mentary. high school and university
training has been instituted and the
rising generation viii not suffer the
blight Of illiteracy-
After all the test OF what America I
has done In Porto Rico is the answer to I
the question, How has iJ affected the !
masses Of the people, In 1897 Porto Z
lsicans, still under Spanish dominion. I
ns-
Grating the retirement OF the English /
4 ON the island A prize was offered J
lot the best account OK existing COndi- !
lions in the island. the prize to be .
awarded by the high authorities OF the F.
colony Many articles were submitted, /
but the award went to one in which. 2
after ptcturing the progress of the /
century then ending, the writer de-
A Picture OF Former Poverty.
49, only the labOrer- the son OF our
fields, one Of the most unfortunate be
lngS IN the world. with the Dailid face {
the bare foot. the fleshless body the
ragged clothing, and the feVerish
glance. strOlls indifferently. with the
darkness Of ignorance in his eyes. In /
the market lie rlnuS Tor food only the
often saited fish or meat. Goldfish COW
cred with gangrenish spIOtches, and In
dian rice; and he that harvests the best I
coffee in the world. VINO aids I'm gath
'Ting into the granary the sweetest
grain in nature, and drives to pasture Z
the oeautirul young meat animals. can !
not carry to his lips a single slice OF
lesn, because the municipal eNactiOns Z
place II beyond his means. almost
doubling the price of the infected cod
ism, coIIee becomes to him an article
y luxury, because of its high price.
md he can use only sugar loaded with
nOlasses and impurities"
The Marvellous Change.
w men one compares the labOrinE man
y Porto Rico today with the picture
iraWn 10 years ago, it is comparison
more eloquent OF achievement than /
perhaps anything else in the island l
men the population was only 100000;
mas since increased by one half AT
nat time the masses were almost en-
lrely barefOOted and infected with the
ookWorm disease When the United [
tates took over the island seven out |
Il every nine Of the people never knew /
'naJ II was TO wear shoes. today the I
arefooted people are exceptional. per |
APPS only the tenth person YOU meet .
VII be without shoes.
When the essayist wrote Of the pal ! I
10 face, the bare foot. the fleshless !
ouy, and me feVerish glance he told
ne story OF the ravages OF the hook ]
-orm disease Since the American Oc-
upaJ1On more than 100000 cases OF /
ookwOrm disease have been treated.
nd the sufferers freed from a disease J
Mon made of life q living death The ,
cath rate Of the island has been cut
rom 40 per thousand in 1901 to - per ]
in 1911. In other words.
ilE- e WO4lQ nave OttI more imam ~ 3 q
90 additional deaths i'm Porto Rico last Z
ear had the death rate Of 1901 con- s
inued TO this time 2
Wage Increase 800 Percent
Add TO all these things q 800 percent Z
Increase i'm the wages Of the average ]
aborer, a system of laws which at {
ampts TO guard the interests of the
lasseS. a tariff policy which gradually J.
shifting the burdens OF taxation d
rom the shoulders OF those who are q
aast able 10 bear them 10 the backs
those who can best carry them. and Z d
on have a picture filled with hope and / q
ncOura cement, as well as full Of past I r
chievements.
But stiH the Porto RicauS are not . v
2tIsfied They feel that they are men
-ithout a country They no longer are f
tizens Of Spain for they have given I
aalty to the United States. On the q
Their hand they are not Vet citizens OF "
he United States for congress has re- q
Ised to give them that status a POr-
, Pican has no sovereign When o
broad he is without protection. He is b
citizen of no republic. a subject OF Il
o monarch. All Of the American Off ID
ais who have had 10 do with the IN S
liar government advocate citizenship u