Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-03-29
Uncle Sam In The Caribbean
1f-Are Porto Ricans Americans?
By Frederic J. Haskin
By Frederic J. Hdskin

San Juan, Porto Rico, March H-There re-
Gently took place in this city large and enthu-
siastic celebration, with professions and bands
playing patriotic music and bonfres that lit the
sky for miles around. The occasion was the
passage by congress of the Jones bill, which con-
fers upon the l,25O00O people of Porto Rico the
rights of American citizens.
During the debate upon this bill southern
senator stated that not in thousand years could
the people OF Porto Rico Comprehend the genius
Of the American government" and that il it came
to vote not per cent of them would prefer
American citizenship, to independence.
1t is safe to say that this senator had not Wis
tied Porto Rico, that he evolved his idea of the
island largely from his inner consciousness. For
in just few days here good deal of evidence
may be gathered which does not support his con-
illusions.
The celebration in itself is one bit of evidence.
All classes took part and it was genuinely en-
thusiastic Another pertinent event was the pas
sage by the Porto Rican legislature of resoIu-
ton asserting that in the present emergency the
people of Porto Rico are with the president and
prepared to support him. There is something
back OF these words. too The native Porto Rican
regiment musters 800 men and there are no more
loyal American soldiers anywhere. Furthermore
many recruits are on the waiting list Another
regiment could be raised upon short notice.
Should the United States go to war there is no
part Of the United States which would more
promptly supply its quota of men than Porto
Rico. That is certainly one way for people to
show loyalty to their government and this loyal
spirit shows that there must be some compre-
hension in the island Of the genius Of American
government.
The fact OF the matter is that the ideals OF
liberty and equality of right which essentials
OF the genius of our government are very real
to the Latin American. The government has kept
him waiting long time for the citizenship which
is to confer these blessings but he is not sore
over his long wait, and he appreciates them now
that they have come. The leader of the aboring
element here says that IS per cent Of his follow
ers are satisfied with the organic act These la
borers following the American method, have re-
Gently organized into union for the purpose of
exacting better wages and hours Of labor from
!, the moneyed interests here. A meeting Of the
delegates from all the different branches OF this
union was held few days ago to make plans for
the citizenship celebration and that meeting was
another bit of evidence that the Porto Rcan has
grasped the American idea. The debate was very
heated, but quite orderly, and the ragged, swarthy
speakers were all real orators. They detained
vigorously against the capitalist interests OF Porto
Rico, but not against the American government,
although that government has not done all that
it might for them. They decided that the Jones
bill had been good thing for them, but that its
desirable features were the result of their own
efforts against those OF the capitalist class, there
fore they decided to hold separate celebration
the United States government has done for them.
San Juan today is certainly good American
city; it is vastly more American than many parts
of the continental United States, both on the At
lantc coast and in the middle west. There is
nowhere under the flag more modern, lively,
interesting city Of its size.
Analysis of political feeling in Porto Rico
does not bear out the pessimstic conclusions of
the senator either, There are two main parties in
the island the unionist and the republican. 1t is
true that the platform of the unionist party which
at present dominates the island, contains an in
dependent plank, but it is also true that this
only inserted after intimations had come from
Washington during the Taft administration that
the Porto Ricans would probably never achieve
citizenship. Since the passage OF the Jones bill
the leaders of this party have been loudly pro-
claiming that they are for the United States first,
last and all the time There is no doubt GER
tain amount of demagoguery about this sudden
change, but what the demagogues say is good
indication Of what the people want to hear.
When the congress Of the United States puts
upon its records an attack upon the Americanism
Of the Porto Ricans it might also consider what
the Americans have done for the Porto Ricans.
They have developed the island and multiplied
its productive power, but all the wealth made
here has flowed away, and the people are as poor
as they were under the Spaniards. There are
not enough schools to teach the people English,
although they want to learn it. large number
of Americans have been sent to Porto Rico and
paid out of the Porto Rican Golfers to run the
island government and many of these people in
their clubs and on the streets are heard to ex-
press the most disparaging opinions of the land
and the people which feed them and the making
of which is in their hands.
More American tourists are going to Porto
Rico every year and they display even less CON-
prehenson of the native point Of view than do
the most obtuse of the resident Americans. For
one thing they fail to realize that the Latins are
a very polite race. They walk about the streets
and into the cafes in their shirt sleeves which is
as bad breach of etiquette here as for lady
to appear without her stockings in New York.
When asking Porto Rican question on the
street they say Here boy" when the proper
form would be to raise the hat and say, pardon
me, Senor." Nevertheless, the tourist is we'll and
Hospitality received in Porto Rico; he meets with
none of the spiteful neglect which is said to be
meted out to some Americans in Cuba. The Porto
Rican thinks that these Americans are certainly
pretty crude people in som respects, but the
United States is great and glorious country and
between compatriots little things can be and
should be overlooked.