Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-16
PORTO R|CAN NEED
HELD DESPERATE
Roosevelt Pleads for Pas
sage of So, 900, 900 Relief
in Forum Address.

IN the pay envelope" declared the gov
ernor. "The average wages are from
$3.50 to 5000 year." Unemployment, he
said, was serious.
What the present administration of
the island is doing to improve condi-
tons was outlined by Col. Roosevelt. He
told of efforts to build up the small
farmer, through schools, the homestead
commission and the building up of farm
bureaus like those operating in the
United States. Industrial education, he
reported, was also being put into the
schools to develop industries of the flu
ture and an industrial class.
Officials Serve without Pay.
Handicapped by lack of funds, the ad-
Ninistration Of the island Is being done
By some officials without pay, the gov
ernor pointed out. For instance, he ex-
planned, his secretary was serving also
40 commissioner Of elections and getting
only the salary Of one position.
The cyclone Of q year and a half ago,
Col. Roosevelt said, "left us in desperate
condition. At the present moment, 60
per cent Of the children are suffering
from malnutrition, many Of them with
but one scant meal q day. We are raw
aged BY disease. Our tuberculosis rate Is
the highest In many places in the West
ern Hemisphere, and four and-one- half
oAAACo tAAat "a tk4S Oxl1tSO 6thG6S. OuT
death rate from malaria Is so times that
Of the United States: our infant NOR
tally 2h times. To phrase 1t differently,
some 100000 Of our people are suffering
right now from malaria, perhaps 80 1000
from consumption. Fully 100000 have
hookworm."
Col. Roosevelt's address follows
The average person in the United
States has but little knowledge Of what
nr<xs+ H<H<~ d. I-A
country. They think of 1t vaguely as
q small island lying somewhere to the
south OF but little importance, II they
think Of it at all. Since I have been
governor there have had letters ad-
dressed to me, Porto Rico, Philippine
Islands; Porto Rico, Cuba, and one
even American Ambassador, Porto Rico,
South America. Quite q number of
times have known Of people asking
how long 1t took to go by automobile
from the United States to Porto Rico.
As matter Of fact, the island is Of
very real importance to the United
blood, cultured in tradition, but citizens
Of our country, and loyal citizens. They
are related by kinship to the people of
South America, but they have merged
into our family.
As far as the United States goes,
firmly believe that the most important
relationships we have, outside Of our
own borders, are those relationships that
deal with the sister republics that Lie
to the south. For our good and for
their good, the future must bring an
increasing relationship based on mu-
tual comprehension and understand
ing for the mutual benefit Of all.
Porto Rico Is logically our ~emissary
IN this great undertaking. She stands
In Q position where she can interpret
the culture and feelings Of South
America to our people here in this
country, and In turn interpret our
ideals and aspirations to them. At
this moment, and always, the SOUTH
eYn countries are watching Porto Rico,
watching TO see in what fashion we
cement our relationships.
University Ii Illustration.
As an illustration Of Just what Porto
Rico may mean, take our university
At Porto Rico. It should be In the
real sense Of the word O pan-American
institution Of learning. Right now we
have In that university school of
tropical medicine, which has been
founded with the aid Of Columbia, and
to which young men, not only from
the continental United States and Porto
countries, come to study. We are
founding q school Of tropical agricul-
ture, with the assistance Of CARMEL,
which win serve in the same fashion.
Today there are American citizens from
cur Department Of Agriculture in Porto
Rico for the governments Of Colombia
and Venezuela, Peru and others. In
the future there will be many more.
We have O school Of business, and
are going to try to establish there q
postgraduate course IN Latin civil law
students may take who believe that
their business connections viii place
them in business contact with the
south, and, on the other hand. course
I'm public service, business and social
and industrial laws Of the United
States, which hope may be attended
By students from South America. That
81 o brief glimpse Of what Porto Rico
may mean to the United States.
what are we? We are an island, 100
miles long by IS miles broad. We have
o population Of 1.543,000 American
citizens. In other words, we have q
population equal to or greater than the
population Of approximately q half
dozen States Of the Union. To be
specific, we have o population equal
10 that Vermont, Delaware, Arizona,
New Mexico, Nevada and Wyoming
combined, and only one one-hundred-
and-thirty- third Of their area. Condi-
lions have never really been good on
our island. At times we have shown
o fictitious prosperity. but It has al
few, not Of the many. At no time has
Porto Rico been in such shape that the
vast majority Of our people were pros
porous and healthy. We have never
had the only real prosperity
which reflects itself in the pay envelope.
A year and o half ago the cyclone
struck US and left Us in desperate con-
dition. At the present moment 90 per
cent Of our children are suffering from
malnutrition, many Of them with but
one scant meal day. We are ravished
the highest In many places in the West
ern Hemisphere and four and one-hah
times that Of the United States. Our
death rate from malaria Is so times
that Of the United States: our infant
mortality az times. To phrase 1t Diff
ferently. some 100000 Of our people
are suffering right now from malaria,
perhaps &c. 900 from consumption. Fully
600.0 900 have hookworTn. The average
wages are from $3.50 TO $500 year.
Sixty per cent Of our people are out
Of employment. either partially or
wholly, during the year.
Condition Can Be Changed.
That Is the condition Of the island.
but It IL not q condition that cannot
be changed. It is one that can and
must be remedied. Our people are in
telligent and industrious. II given the
opportunity, they will easily demon
strate their worth, and it Is to that
end that we must direct our efforts.
When I arrived at the island last
Autumn found, due to the cyclone,
not only the conditions above stated.