The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-04-02
NEA Service Writer


 Washington.-tPor Rico is gasden spot where people starve to death, an island with a large Hitter ate population which is nevertheless madly enthusiastic about education, full of loyal and law-abiding citizens who have never rebelled and who live in high hopes of the future de- spite the most discouraging condi- tions of adyersity,''
 That brief description of the island possession recently visited by President Hoover is given by Muna Lee, the internationally famous poet, now on leave from the University of Porto Rico while she serves here on the American Commission of Women. Years of life among the Porto Ricans have made Muna Lee passionately devoted to their inter- ests. Your correspondent turned to her, pointing out that everyone was writing about Porto Rico on account of Hoover's visit, and asked what one ought to say.
 Draw World Attention
 Hurricanes and Hoover, one gath CTS have at least encouraged the Porto Ricans to believe that the att tention of the world will be directed to their troubles. Many Porto Ricans have grieved at the thought that their island was often confused with Costa Rica or the Philippines and they are naively happy in the thought that those days are over.
 Porto Rico," began Muna Lee, lis about 100 miles long and 35 miles wide, little larger than Long Island. It is 8 tip-tilted table of rock and every earthquake--there are plenty of those--is supposed to make it slant an inch more toward Mona Channel, which runs between Porto Rico and Santo Domingo. Mona Channel is one of the deepest spots on the ocean fioor;- it is deeper than Mount Everest is tall. In a million years, it Is estimated, we will be tipped right into Mona Channel.
 Porto Rico was the only Spanish colony which never rebelled against Spanish rule during the long series of Latin American uprisings. The Froyalists from the other colonies often fled there for sanctuary. When the Porto Ricans were dissatisfied they always sent someone to the Spanish court or parliament, feel ing that their appeal would bring justice.
 Storms Shaped Destiny
 "But Porto Rico's destiny has been shaped by two hurricanes- that of 1899 which the people call the hurricane of San Ciriaco be- cause it fell on that saints day and the hurricane of San Felipe two years ago. The first was the sever est in the islands history until the other one came. Many lives were lost in the rain and floods; there wa then no weather bureau to warn the people.
 "The hurricane killed most of the cattle and ruined the coffee planta- tions. Coffee is best raised on small plantations and in the shade of other trees. The big trees were blown down. The small plantations began to disappear as the people turned to the easier crop of sugar cane. Sugar is most economically produced on large plantations and Porto Rican land began to come un- der absentee landlords.
 ''The population, about million and half has doubled since 1899. The people are Catholic and ignor- ant of birth control methods. Never theless, they have the highest infant mortality rate in the world and most of them suffer from malnutrition or disease or both.
 When the refugees gathered to- gether in the larger towns after the 1899 hurricane they began to die in surprisingly large numbers from malnutrition or disease or both.
 "When the refugees gathered to- gether in the larger towns after the 1899 hurricane they began to die in surprisingly large numbers from what appeared to be combination of anemia and malnutrition.
 Discovered HOOkwOPm
 ''Dr Bailey Ashford, lieutenant in the United States army medical service, then discovered hookworm for the first time that the disease had been identified in the western hemisphere. From that discovery came the realization that this was the same disease which affected cer- tain portions of the south, and the |resultant Rockefeller Foundation fight against hookworm.
 Nearly ali the sugar crops came under American ownership. But coffee was still grown as the island's 6 lsecondary crop. Then came the last hurricane and the coffee industry, with its many small Porto Rican landowners, was again terribly cTip- |pled The people had also begun to grow oranges and grapefruit profit |abIy and that enterprise also receive a heavy I5IoW Win fln fnaEed credit.