Norwich bulletin., 1917-12-13
Views of the Vigilantes
OUR NEW AMERICANS.
By Reinette LoveweiI of The Vigi-
 fanteS.

All by it's lonesome down in the Carribean Sea, the little island of Porto Rico knows there is war go- ing on and is right on the job. For in spite of all its Spanish names and customs, and the fact that half our folks don't know it, Porto Rico is Uni- ted States. The Stars and Stripes have been flying over the government buildings since 1898 and when war was forced upon Washington last spring, every Spanish language paper on the island came out and declared that whatever might come, the Porto Rican populace was going to stand by the great Country five days to the north
 The tragic thing about Porto Rico is that she isn't big enough to be a first taste of liberty in 1898 that has been the dream of her people; but the whole island is only about the size of Massachusetts with Cape Cod cut off and has always had a hard time to make living. Self-government is plainly out of the question; Porto Ri co seems destined to be the ward of Washington for generations to come.
 You can rake the island over from San Juan to Ponce and not find a sign Of a Pacifist CT a Conscientious Ob- jector. Like their neigllbors, in the West Indies and the South American iGepuDItcS, ECTtO RlCanS JuSL like being in hot water They are as good scrappers as the Irish, albeit in Latin way, and when the war broke they began to strain at the leash to fight for the Flag that has protected them for nineteen years. The boys were eager to get into the United States Navy and men of military age rushed to join the regular regiment This regiment, recruited to full strength, is now doing service in Pan- a m yU Gn similar. An officers training camp was started at Cayey-and more ap- plications received than could be talk en care of.
 be draft, no outcry was heard. Im- petuous and infamable as the Porto Rican is temperamentally, he said not one word against this iron rule of sac rifice. And this in face of the undeni- able truth that he has not come to- US. but we have invaded his homeland and with Yankee enterprise tried to hus- tie him out of comfortable, climatic habits.
 Porto Rico has taken s1,ooo, 900 in Liberty bonds-wher money loaned down there brings eight per cent in tefest. An up-and- coming Liberty Loan Committee was organized inde- fatigably to get subscriptions.
 is doing a big bit for the American Red Cross Who that has sampled guava jelly cannot taste it yet? At the Headquarters of the Porto Rico Chapter, the familiar window card with its scarlet emblem is Iettered "CRUN ROJA,'' and in a huge room with a blue-and- white tiled floor. twenty two charcoal braziers are used to make jelly for the hospitals of Eu- rope. In a single day enough is made to fill more than a thousand glasses, but most of it is being prepared for shipment in gallon cans. As the eG\ l. vas spoil quickly the women are work ing all day Sunday. Sugar made right on the island is used-the Porto Rican spirit being shown in the fact that one Of the great sugar companies contri- bnted 24,000 pounds. A little later grape fruit marmalade will be made in huge quantities.
 The list of members of the Insular Red Cross Chapter contains names like Miguel Guerra Mondragon and Rafael Gonzales Pesquera, lined up beside plain American signature like J. R., Cobb.
 The island took the Food Question with all seriousness The slogan, we Must Feed Ourselves" was given out, and the first crop census shows that Porto Rico, with the exception of a few staples, can really feed herself
 The Porto Rico Progress, the only