Evening star., 1925-04-26

, beach broken by a little river
and lined with cocoanut
palms. Here on the 10Th of November,
S493, Christopher Columbus landed in
t'discovery." He had on his first voy-
age the previous year discovered the
island of Santo Domingo, which he
had called Hispaniola, and he was
now continuing his search for the
great far-eastern continent, where he
hoped to find vast stores of gold and
other riches. When he touched the
shores of Porto Rico he knew that 1t
was an island, and he was not inter
ested in it beyond the fact that from
the little river he was able to obtain
fresh water for his ships. He soon
sailed away on his never-ending quest
for the golden eastern continent.
Columbus named the island San
Juan de Bautista. in honor of St. John
the Baptist. When Ponce de Leon,
who was with Columbus at the time OF
the discovery, returned to the island
in sos he found the harbor where
the present capital is located and call
ed it Puerto Rico" the gate of
riches" Later the names We're re
VerSed. the island becoming Porto
Rico and the capital San Juan.
Today plans are under consideration
for the establishment at the point OF
the discovery of Porto Rico by Co.
iumbus of a park, with appropriate
nemorials to commemorate his land
tnC. A few yards back from the beach
how stand the remains of a monu-
ment, ruined by the earthquake of a
few years ago, erected in 1898 to
mark the 400th anniversary of the
landing.
On the south shore of the island is
similar stretch of beach. where, 405
years after the discovery by Colum-
I.
landing was effected, that of -Ameri-
can troops under Gen. Miles. 1t is now
busy point, the site of the city of
Arroyo, which is actually the playa.
or port, of Guayama, one of the i'm
portant Centers of the sugar industry
In Porto Rico.
No monument marks the spot of the
American landing. None is proposed.
None, indeed, is needed. The pier that
stretches out into the waters of the
Caribbean from which the lighters
leave with their loads of sugar for the
freighters anchored in the roadstead
is in itself monument to that occa-
sion. 1t stands for the improvement
in the condition of Porto Rico that has
resulted from that military maneUver.
Nearly 27 years have elapsed since
the American troops landed at Arroyo,
years more marked with progress and
between the two historic debarkations.
The American flag then brought
ashore has fioated over Porto Rico
from that day to this. Beneath it
Porto Rico has advanced in every re-
spect, has developed from lasygard
exploited colonial possession into
thriving, happy and prosperous com
munity. And the United States has
in its service there demonstrat ed its
capacity for the helpful. progressive
and sympathetic administration of the
affairs of a people of alien nation ality.
x x x
TT has been my good fortune to be
able to visit Porto Rico recently,
to observe that development after a
little more than a quarter of a CEN
tury of American administration. l
trust to be able to cause the readers
of The Star to appreciate what has
been accomplished under the flag that
was planted at Arroyo in July, 1898.
When the United States urder the
treaty of Paris took sovereignty over
Porto Rico, it found the island in
grievous need of practically ALI the es-
sentialS of modern social oTganiza-
tion. The great body of the people
was desperately poor. They were but
newly freed from virtual peonage,
with few facilities for their education,
advancement, with small encourage
ment for the development of their
citizenship. Spain had, under pres
sure of political need, granted a meas
ure of autonomy which had not yet
taken effect, and which it was sus-
pected would not be permitted to in
dure If the crisis compelling it's adop-
ton should pass. The great majority
of the people were sick, spiritless,
densely illiterate.
Today Porto Rico is a land of plen-
ty, with hundreds of schools filled to
capacity with eager children, with the
standards of living immeaSureably i'm
proved, with 1000 miles of improved
highways linking together all parts
of the island, with a fight against
deep-seated, debilitating disease vir.
tually won, with prosperity prevailing
in all branches of industry and agri
culture.
Porto Rico is now virtually self
governing community. Through the
liberal action of Congress the people
make their own laws in a legislature
of their selection, with the executive
administration in the main in the
hands of their own citizens. They
have gained a degree of autonomy
that was never possible under the
old sovereignty. They have no re
gret for the change of flags. On the
status as Americans.
To tell the story in full detail ol
Porto Rico's advance during this won
derful quarter of a century would
take too much space than is here
available. 1t is an inspiration to al
American Continental, to use the
correct designation of one from the
States-to stand on the Plaza at Sar
Juan, the capital, and to see on every
hand the tokens of Uncle Sans goo6
work as guardian of the fortunes OF
these people, To be sure, he viii
probably hear no other speech thar
Spanish, for that remains and viii
doubtless always remain the common
speech of the people, despite the
teaching of English in all the schools
public and private. But he will see
signs of activity that can only have
been the result of constructive gov
ernmental development in the foster
ing of industrials, in the spread o.
education, in the campaign agains
disease, for which the United State.
has been responsible.
x x X
Il EAVING San Juan to drive through
- the country over the great system
of perfect highways-more than S0l
miles of the 1000 which have beer
built since the Stars and Stripes were
hoisted-the continental observer will
see the land titled to the SUBMITS o
the many hills that make the island
as Columbus said to Queen Isabella
upon his return to Spain, look like {
crumpled handkerchief. He will Sc,
signs of thrift and industry on ever.