New Britain herald., 1922-12-20
ASK INVESTIGATION
 OF RELY CHARGES
Porto RiOans Aroused by Political
 Accusations of Governor

New York. Dec. 2o.--Antonio R. Barcelo. president Of the Porto Rican senate and leader of the Unionists, the majority party in both legislative bodies of the island, appealed yester- day to President Harding for an im- mediate investigation into the charges made by Gov. Gen. E Mont Kelly on his arrival in New York that accusa- tions of misconduct in his adminis- tration of Porto Rico had been trumped up by persons discontented by their failure to obtain. political sinecures.
 If what Governor Reilly states pub licly is true or anything approaching it." senor Barcolo said in a telegram to the president the guilty should be apprehended and indicted; otherwise the accuser himself should be indicted as a sanderer."
 Senor Barcelo wired the president that Governor Reily's statements were "of such grave character that for the honor of the United States, Of Porto Rico, that of yourself as chief execu- | tive of this nation an my own as president of the insular senate and leader of the majority party they call for immediate investigation.
 You, yourself. know that the only one who has been accused by grand jury of malversation of public funds 1 is Governor Kelly himself, who, talk ing advantage of his office, has hith- erto avoided trial, dismissing district l attorneys and other officers the message continued.
 | Before starting judicial proceed ings against the governor for his un- called for statements, I respectfully submit to your high consideration this unusual situation in my own name and those of the senators and representatives of the majority party which represent"
 Senor Barcelo asserted that Cover nor Kelly represented a small portion of the population of Porto Rico, and was out of sympathy with the needs and desires of the great bulk of the
 population. He said the Unionist party, opposed to the governor, had 27 out of 39 representatives, 5 out Iof 19 in the senate, controlled more
 than AZ of 65 municipalities, and
 claimed as their representative Felis Cordova Davila. Porto Rican repre- |, sentative in the American congress. , Senor Barcelos statements were supported by Alfonso Lastra Char riez. speaqer pro tempore Of the Porte .j Rican lower house, who charged thai , Governor Reilly had used every mean' , in his power to win over the two leg.
 islative bodies of the island. He sait the lower house declared vacant thu seat of Senor Cay Coll-Cuchi, former
 speaker, who went over to Governor l Reily's side.
 t The statement was made tha v should the appeal to President Hard , ing fall to meet with response, step
 would be taken to sue Governo
 Reilly for islander in the Americal courts. The intimation was als
 given that an attempt to begin i'm
 peachment proceedings against hin might be made in the courts here.
 Washington, Dec. 20 (Associatet
 PressJ-Martin Travieso, mayor o
 San Juan, a member of the commis
 sion sent to the United States to asl
 the removal of Governor Reilly o 7 Porto Rico, in a statement took ex
 ception to the allegations of the gov
 ernor that the attacks eon him hat
 been initiated by, disgruntled office
 holders whom he had elected.