New-York tribune., 1921-11-18
Crisis Feared in
Porto Rico by
Unionist Chief
Gov. Reily's Rule Denounced
by Speaker Pro Tenn. Of
Island House, Who Will
Join i'm Plea to Congress
Harding Urged to Act
Ousting Of Present Executive
Sought: Full Self-Covern-
ment Bill Is Indorsed

Porto Rico's affairs are in such a
deplorable state that only immediate
action by President Harding and Com
gress can avert crisis in the islands
government, Alfonso Lartra Charriez,
Speaker pro TEN. Of the Porto Rican
House Of Representatives and q leader
Of the Unionist, or majority, party
there, said yesterday at the Hotel An
sonia. MIR. Charriez, with o. Collazo. a
San Juan newspaper man, arrived in
New York several days ago as advance
party for a committee of Unonists
which will sail from Porto Rico on
November 90 to lay it's grievances be-
fore Congress.
The delegation will ask that the
present Governor of the island, E.
Mont. Reilly, formerly Of Kansas City,
Mo-, be removed from Office, and that
the Williams bill, which would allow
the Porto Ricans to elect their Gov
ernor and through him select their own
Supreme Court Justices and Cabinet
officials. be enacted into law by Con-
gress. Antonio r. Barcelo, president
Of the Porto Rican Senate and ranking
head of the Unionist faction, will head
the mission to Washington.
According to Mr.. Charriez, who was
bitter in his denunciation Of the Reily
ADMINISTRATION and declared the ma
jority of Porto Ricans we're Of one
mind in desiring to be rid of him, Gov
ernor Reilly and several Of his officials
are en- route to this country now to
consult with President Harding and
Secretary of War Weeks regarding the
situation on the island.
independence Move Denied.
Mr.. Charriez denied that the Union
SITS, whom he represents as Speaker of
the. House of Representative were
seeking absolute independence from, the
United States. On the contrary, he
SAID the Porto Ricans desire only home
rule. The American Constitution. he
asserted, as we'll as the Porto Rican
bill of rights, had been grossly violated
and ignored in the conduct of the ISL
and's affairs since the appointment of
Governor Reilly by President HARDING
to succeed DR.. Arthur Yager. who was
in 1914. '''A'
Charges were made by the Unionist
leader that the present Governor had
on several occasions boasted that he
was superior to the law, that he had
referred in public to the Porto Rican
colors as rag" and made violent
gestures as If to tear them into shreds.
that he had closed his palace at San
Juan to all newspapermen who dared
write articles in criticism Of this meth
DDS, and that he had ordered the police
TO club into Submission any manifest
ants against his official behavior who
might appear on the streets.
'.lt is high time,' Mr.. Charriez added
for the government of the United
States to- call halt to the campaign
OF sdiscredlt which Mr.. Reilly is carry
ing on in Porto Rico-nisbehavior
which is already being commented on
with the harshest terms in the press
of Latin-America."
Porto Rican Status Defined
"The American Congress saw fit to
give. US new regime in the shape of
the Jones law Mr.. Charriez added.
"and under the latter we have two cleo
tive houses which form our insular
legislature. No bill could be enacted
into law without the approval Of both
houses. The Governor has the power
of veto, and in order to overcome this
veto the two houses must again pass
the vetoed law by two-thirds Of it's
members, who are elected by the direct
vote of the people. The President of
the United States appoints the gov
ernor,. the attorney general and the
commissioner. of education. The gov
ernor appoints, with the advice and
consent Of the Senate, the commits
sioners Of the interior, Health and
Agriculture and Labor" o
Asked upon what difficulty the~Porto
Rican political situation rests, Mr.
Charriez replied: upon the fact that
our government results are either good
or bad. intelligent or stupid, according