Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-25
WARM ENDORSEMENT
FROM PORTO RICO
San Juan Times, Republican Pa
per, Urges Reelection OF
Senator Salisbury.
Communicated.

and the far-reaching Importance OF his
reelection are not matters OF pardon
able State pride alone. They have
aroused intense interest wherever the
broad craftsmanship of the Senator and
his great usefulness are known and ap-
preclated
While the Senator's opponents are
using every means to bring about his
defeat and are vehemcntly calling upon
the voters of the State to keep hIm at
home because he Is Democrat and
therefore, rs they say, not qualified TO
act intellIgently upon question of re-
: construction, the people of Porto Rico.
| who suffered many years under the do
nothing policy of the Republicans IN
Congress, are most ANXIOUS that he should
j be reelected, for the very opposite rea-
son that he has already demonstrated
exceptional ability IN preparing and
advocating constructive measures IN
.,yolvlng not only their welfare hut also
the welfare of all the peoples of the West
Indies, and the general good of the peo-
: pie Of TIN United States.
In recent ISSUE of The Times of San
Juan, Porto Rico. the leading Republican
newspaper of the island, the Senator s
reelection Is made the subject of un-
qualified editorial endorsement. Under
Election he Times says III part
Because the future of Porto Rico is of
great I'M port1ncc to the United States,
as we'll as To herself, there Is an interest
attached to the Delaware Senatorial
,selectIon that Is better understood even
+ln Porto Rlco than IN the State mentioned
Vr In other States of the Union. The is
sue at stake IN this election is neither
Democratic nor Republican, is wholly
national III character Let us glance at
both the national and local phase of the
subject, considering the former first
Porto Rico Is the most important
outpost under the flag of the United
States We will not go 50 far as to say
that she holds the key to the Caribbean
Sea, although we doubt if il would he
an eXaggeration as territorial interests
arc distributed today: but surely. with
the Virgin passage to the east, and the
Mona passage to the west. great thor
oifghfares to the Caribbean sea and the
canal, Porto Rico is the most potent fac
tor under the United States flag in deal
ing with the protection of the great zone,
destined to enter SO largely into the COM
merce of the world immediately follow
ing the close of the war
i 1T is we'll known that the next COM
mercial drive by the United States and
Europe will be for the trade OF South
America. Geographically, as well as
from her inherent knowledge of the peo-
pie of the United States, Porto Rico is
today the natural clearing house between
the United States and South America
BY inheritance and association, our people
know the languages, peculiarities and
wants, and the business methods of both
the north and the south. Ii Is reasonable
that the advantages of this situation
should be utilized. and 1T would be moth
ing short of al egreglous hlunder to throw
away such an asset, whether that asset
was acquired by accident or design.
Surely, IT must be evident to all
people in the United States that it is
of vital Importance to the nation that
the pelople of Porto Rico become devoted
to the flag as an affectionate entity of the
nation. And this conclusion must be
reached whether the subject be considered
from military or a commercial stand
point.
From Cuba to the Virgin Islands
danish West Indies Inclusive there live
approximately 100000 OF people; in
most cases, active, aggressive people,
already launched into the new life OF the
New World. 1t is desirable also, to have
the friendship of all of these people,
and with the exception of Santo Domin-
go, satisfactory progress is being made
In the Dominican Republic, q combina-
tion of circumstances, and the fixed habit
Of revolutions, makes the problem more
difficult, but time. with the proverbial
patience and kindness of the true democ-
racy, will accomplish the task"
he Times then reviews at length the
9 various efforts made to reconstruct"
Porto Rico, and the signal failure result
ing therefrom, and refers approvingly TO
the bill introduced In the Senate by Sena-
tor salisbury, popularity known as the
salisbury Porto Rican Territorial bill,
as follows:
THE Salisbury bill created Porto
Rico territory OF the United States,
with the Constitution of the United States
as the fundamental law thereof Had this
bill then been enacted into law, with such
changes as local conditions naturally
suggested, Porto Rico would have settled
down to the construction of govern
ment in line with the traditions and princi-
pies OF free, self-governing state, i'm
mediafely upon the signing of the bill
We submit that In view OF the vast
interests the United States have in this
section, the government cannot, on it's
own account, longer trihe with this
situation.
I'VE further submit that in Justice to
Porto Rico, and as basis of expecting
the a1ectionate devotion of her people
abe must be recognized as an Americ an
territory in every sense of the word Then
and not until then, will cruel agitation for
political purposes end.
Senator Willard Salisbury. who intro
duced the bill that calls for such recogni-
ton, Is now chairman of the committee
having our affairs in charge He under
stands the interests of the United States
IN the Caribbean country, and equally
well he appreciates the justice that IS
due TO Porto Rico after all of these years
Of mistake and neglect
1T Is of great importance to the United
States, commercially and from a military
point OF view, that Senator Salisbury be
returned. Party questions are sometimes
overshadowed by national requirements.
IT is not because Senator SALISBURY is
either Democrat or Republican that be
is the man for this emergency 1t is
because he understands a question of
serious import to the nation and knows
what to do In the premises, that his con-
tinuance IN the Senate at this critical
lrincture is demanded"
War Maps of the Western Front.
As result of numerous requests Every
Evening has secured another lot of sWar