The Alaska daily empire., 1921-12-28
RICO IS NOT PLANNING TO
 "SECEDE" OR TO UNDERMINE us.
 AUTHORITY SAYS COMMISSION

Rico is not planning to "secede' rem the United Sta. a.es and her politi- cal leaders are not dict2tOrs or plot .ers seeking to unGermlnd the aH- thor ' ci the Federal government, says Antonio R Bsrcelo, president of the isiiad Senate, speaking for tl , POr.o R.can Commission in Wash 'ngton. of which hc is a member, ia l public staecneGi here in answer Q recert charges by members of the
 dmin.stra ton C.. Governor F. Mont Reilly.
 "One Of the rea5ons advanced by Governor Rely in jus ification for his hostility Jw&rs tfe majority party, says the statement, ''is that the very predoniAance CG that party in the island is s1'ch as to exercise a per nicious iaflusrce upon all efforts for good government; and that it's leader, MT, Marcelo, has developed into dictator who is using his grea. power to hwart the bonoficient eff forts of the Governor.
 '"fha members of the commission thlt has been sent to Washington rom Porto Rico to prefer charges looking 70 the removal of the Gov ernof unanimously refute this charge They claim that the Unionist party IS primarily q patriotic league. In is ranks are tp he found both con iervative and radical clements who tiI | a comnon meeting gr0aad in the party's ilcal of self government They clifm it VIII enable their peo- 'lle to rove their capacity for gov ;srnment and at the same time to 'a ssune all the obligations that go with the exercise Of government.
 "Such patriotic organization they claim has naturally obtained the sup nor, of the great majority of self respectingl and patriotic islanders. This has been repeatedly shawa by their ovorwhelming victories when aver they have appealed to the yer diet os the ballot The commission on the other hand characterize the membership of the minor political parties which op-ose the Unonists as being divided into two classes; firgt. those who would be content to see Porto Rico play seryile part, and secondly those who by lowing 10 strong powor centered in the Governor would be willing 10 sur render the public control of the island if they would be benefited thereby"
 Under the terms Of the Organic Act as, presently afnerded," contin- nes the statement, "it must be ap- rarent that if anything approaching } dictatorship exists on the island fl arises from the acts of the Cover |, ,Nlc al; fo ,1f who have been directing his policy. It is ridiculous to accuse the Unionist party or MT. Barcelo, it's leader. Of dictatorship for they have exercised no r3wers other than those granted by the Organic Act and rat- fled and indorsed by the people who elected them as representatives. : Fortunately, the officials con. Tirmed by the Senate under the new Organic Act have shown efficiency. honesty and capacity and the General Assembly has accomplished great and truly constructive work in the social and economic reforms they have placed upon the statute books. There are few states in the Union that would lay claim to a higher standard than that displayed by the island legislature. This may be veri- fled by the annual report of the Gov erncr, which is in turn made a part of the annual report of the Secretary of War to the President.
 ''The powers of the Governor as provided under the Foraker Act, in many respects. have been preserved in the act of 1917 The general su- pcrvision of public affairs is still vested in him: he has the power to remove appointees and he enjoys an almost absolute vetp yoower over the acts of the legislature. With such power wisely exercised, an able and diplomatic governor could well leave to the other branches of the govern ment the exercise of powers granted them by the Organic Act. allowing them the exercise and development of their own initiative and limiting himself to preventing any abuse oi power This Is the proper way Of assisting the people to prepare them selves for self government, otherwise iR the Governor arrogates to himself ell powers, he will destroy the in centive cf'the peogic to participate in public affairs
 Referring to the fire on the steam ship TanamO, which brought Cover nor Reilly and his party to New York on November 21, the statement said that the charge that the blaze was of incendiary origin "betrays such tad faith that it speaks for itself"
 WANT IADAk