The Cordova daily times., 1921-02-15
BY COL. WINFIELD JONES

Philippine independence having been abandoned for this session, except that the agitation for independence is still carried on from Washing. ton propaganda office members of congress are now being importuned to grant statehood to Porto Rico.
 It may be stated, on the best of au- thority, from interviews today with many house and senate leaders, of both parties, that statehood for the island of Porto Rico is a very re- mote possibility, and is impossible at this session. In fact, it will not even be considered at this session, and it is doubtful if it will get any where at the next congress, except perhaps in the form of a bill grant ing statehood, which will slumber in committee until the end of the next congress.
 There is one great unsurmountable obstacle in the way of granting state hood to Porto Rico. That is the character of the population, which is strictly Porto Rican, very few Ameri- cans living in the island. Porto Rico has population of approximately g. 30O,000 people. Under the present ap- portionment of congressional repre- sentation if Porto Rico were a state this population would be entitled to two senators and ten members of the house. Every one of the senators and house members would be native Porto Ricans. In other words, ten aliens, of Spanish ancestry, would have a voice and seat in the con- gross. Congress hardly would agree to that. Under such circumstances it could well happen, both in house and senate, that the Porto Rico bloc" would be able to control i'm portant legislation, and even the des- tiny of the United States in any great national crisis.
 For this reason alone it is entirely out of the question to admit Porto Rico to statehood, in the opinion of big majority of members of con- gress. AS well, they say, admit Canadians, Australians, and Indians to seats in the British parliament. something that Great Britain will never countenance.
 Prospects, therefore, for Porto Rico ever becoming a state of the union are distant, and yet the Porto Ricans are as loyal to the republic and the American flag as the people of any state of continental United States. Conditions are simply against Porto Rico ever being admitted to state hood. If the Porto Ricaus were a territory of continental United States there is little question but that they then would be admitted to statehood, for the reason that Americans would flock into such territory and soon political conditions would be such that native Porto Ricans would be unable to control senatorial and con- gressional elections, exclusively, as they would undoubtedly do under present conditions if given state hood.
 Porto Ricans not only want state hood but they want native gov. ernor. Senator Antonio R. Barcelo, president of the Porto Rico senate, is in Washington at the head of a na- tive delegation to urge President elect Harding to give his country a native governor. Barcelo also wants congress to extend the rural credits act to the island. If this is not done he says the small farmers in the island will be wiped out, as large agricultural corporations are grad ually acquiring all the farming land. Barcelo is head of the Unionist party of the island, which is strong ly in favor of continuing the present relations between Porto Rico and the United States, except that he would like to have a native Porto Rican at the head of affairs at San Juan. They want this governor, not ap- pointed by the president of the Unit ed States, but selected by popular vote.
 The Unionist party is the strong est political organization in Porto Rico and has always been friendly and loyal to the United States. Soon after the United States entered the world war the Unionist party offered as volunteers f6r the American ar mics all its able bodied young mem- bers, and this was done long before congress passed the draft law. Mem bers of the Unionist party also led the movement which subscribed to the liberty bond issues more than $11,O0O,OOO.