Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-13
Mcnoz Voices Desire for ALL
tonomouS Rule Under
American Flag.
REFERS TO GOVERNMENT
OF BRITAIN AS MODEL
Spurns idea of Complete Independ
ence as Not Desired by
Island.
BY WILLIAM HARD.

By Cable to The star and the Chicago Daily
News Copyright l9"S
| HAVANA, February l3.-The case Of
Porto Rico shot like meteor through
, the Sixth International Conference of
American States today. in consequence
of a public statement by Luis Monoz
Marin. who represents the economic
commission of the Porto Rico Legisla-
| ture in the United States. and who is
also a member of the Cuban Secrctariat
here, which devotes itself to the service
of all the delegations to this conference
The statement was even more remark
able for what 1t did not demand than
for what ii did demand. 1t did demand
a change in the status of Porto Rico.
1t did not demand independence for
Porto Rico
FONTS i'm Statement.
The central essential points in the
statement. which created most IN
tense interest among Latin American
delegates. both because of Senior
Monozs official position in the con-
ference alid because of the vehemence
and vitality of his phrases. were as
follows:
Porto Rico is not built to be within
the constitutional system or The customs
system of the United States. The con-
stituticnal system of the United States
in Porto Rico prevents adequate legis-
lation in Porto Rico against the great
absentee ownership Of great centralized
land holdings in Porto Rico. The Gus
toms system Of the United States in
Porto Rico cofnpels the Porto Rican
laborer who earns 80 cents a day TO
pay as much for his imported neces-
saries as may be paid b. the laborer
i'll the United States. who may earn as
much as SS a day
The United States would never con-
sent to be robber people. Will ii al
low itself To be pickpocket people,"
After this hot shot at the United
States 1t might have been supposed that
Senior Monoz would demand for the
Porto Ricans a complete separation from
the 'pickpocket people" who inaabit
the United States On the contrary he
spurns the idea Of independence for
Porto Rico. What he wants Is the
novel and cleaning idea Of transform
ing the United States into an tmifa-
ton of the British self-governing COM
monweaith Of free nations He Savs:
The desire OF the Porto RicanS l.
Tor Porto Rican free state over which
the American flag shall fly with .,esults
no more disastrous 10 local dignity than
are produced by the British flag as II
flies over Canada or Australia"
An Unusual Proposal.
This is thought here today to be one
OF the most extraordinary propositions
in the history of the relations between
Latin America and the United States
II VIII be widely heralded as an insult
10 the United States II Is at the same
time one OF the greatest International
compliments that the United States ha,
ever received. Senior Monoz Is person.
ally known To this writer as being In
the most intimate authoritative contact
with the Porto Rican government. and
ne now ofI1cially declares In effect that
!! the Porto Ricans are allowed TO order
their own immediate local political and
economic life. they are quite content
u remain within the general interna-
tional military and naval area OF thu
influence OF what Is sometimes called
the American empire"
senior MonoZ's distinguished wife in
forms this writer that there Is no ef-
fectiVe sentiment In Porto Rico for IN
dependence. but a genuine and earnest
sentiment for change OF status from
possession" or territory" TO free
state" Mrs. Monoz Is an American
and can look at Porto Rico without anv
native Porto Rican prejudices.
There Is thought here to be some
considerable humor in the tact tina;
while many Latin American statesmen
In this conference are decrying and a.,
lacking all military and naval Amer,-
can Intervention In Latin America the
Porto Ricans who have had more ex.
perience than any other Latin Ameri.
cans with American rule should be-
officially declaring themselves conten,
with local autonomy under the Ameri-
can flag.