The Washington times., 1915-10-23
YAGER FOR WIDER
PORTO RICO RIGHTS
Governor Points Out Problems
Which Would Follow Unex.
pected Disaster.

LAKE MOHONK. Oct 23-Should
any unexpected calamity befall the Is
land Of Porto Rico. such as a recur-
renee OF the hurricane OF 1892 when
hundreds were killed and the coffee
and other plantations devastated. or
should the sugar industry decline. the
United States would have little Bel
gian relief situation on its hands and
the problem Of feeding the unemployed
would be most serious. in the opinion
Of Gov. Arthur wager. OF Porto Rico.
expressed today at the Lake Mohonk
conference, where he was the chief
speaker on conditions in the island.
After calling attention to the ex-
cessive density Of population. which ne
said was the greatest in proportion to
area Of any region In the world away
from large cities and manufacturing
centers, Governor wager asserted that
the only effective remedy for the sit
uation was the transferring Of large
numbers of Porto Ricans to some other
region. possibly Santo Domingo.
Confront Biological Law.
I'm my judgment 1t is not only i'm.
portant. but 1t Is urgent" he said.
with the population pressing hard
upoi thc VI tinpIOyTnent, II any
| unexpected calamity should befall any
OF the islands industries. there would
result more serious suffering than the
insular government could possibly re-
lieve with the means at its command
1t is a great biological law that we are
confronted with. and we can neither
alter nor repeal it. Education. labor
legislation. land legislation. bank legis.
lation may all help. but these measures
must be supplemented by finding some
| means OF relief from the oncoming
| crowd OF surplus population II we are
| to reach a real remedy"
| Many Porto Ricans have gone to
Santo Domingo, which is almost identi-
! cal in climate. products and language
and has only about thirty people to
the square mile. while Porto Rico has
I about $50 per square mile. With the
vacant lands In Santo Domingo occu-
pied through the emigration Of Porto
/ Ricans the two islands could be made
to fit together like hand and glove, and
: II possible such ARRANGEMENTS should
| be made as would supplement the needs
J OF each island as to population and
social development
Treaty arrangements might he made
with Santo Domingo which would in
clude u practical scheme Of emigration
under governmental encouragement, and
aid OF the surplus population Of tho
'''''''N' '''''iN " ii' l1nnS
of the larger. which would meet the
greatest problem of both islands
through the redistribution of popuip
ton. While some difficulties might
,si,,s in doing this; Governor Yagei
The political problems he classed as
part OF the educational task assumed
BY Americans In Porto Rico. establish
ing a government conforming to Amer
lean ideals as far as possible, training
the people to take part in and assist in
the carrying on Of this government and
making them reasonably satisfied there
with.
Foraker Act Temporary.
The speaker said that. considering
the lack OF previous experience IN gov
erning peoples like those of Porto Rico.
II was surprising that the organic act
passed by Congress in 1900. had on the
whole served its purpose SO we'll
The Foraker act was avoWedly tenn
porary and in my judgment the tim,
has tuIly come when a new constitution
should be given to Porto Rico, en-
bodying the results of our fifteen years
OF experience and recognizing as far
as can be done with prudence the sue
cess of our educational experiment"
Governor Wager stated that the de-
sirabIe changes TO be made were:
The collective grant of citizenship in
the United states, which he claims
should not be regarded as privilege
p put as u fisnt, AIDING I Know of no
gift that would go so far toward re-
moving dissatisfaction and difficulty In
Porto Rico as this simple grant OF cit
izenship. and none that would be at
tended with so little cost and risk"
| Further, there should be an enlarge
ment of the rights of participation in
tDcir own government on the part OF
the Porto Ricans. the details to be
carefully worked out, but including an
elective senate.
Should Correct Errors.
The mistakes made in the present or
ganic act and the development of the
government under 1t should be correct.
ed in the new act. He characterized
the extension Of the suffrage to all male
Porto Ricans over twenty-one years
of age as the most important of these
, mistakes. and recommended change
in the plan Of election districts so tina,
only one instead of five members O.
the house OF delegates of the legislature
would be elected from a single distr. ct
, The question as to the ultimate re,
lation of Porto Rico to the Cn!teC
; States, the governor deemed to be one
for another generation to determine
| the immediate work is the same. re-
gardlcss of whether Porto Rico event,
naly becomes ono of the States or
viewed from the other extreme, ulti
| matcly becomes small autonomous
country under some kind of American
control and protection.