Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-04-15
Jay Franklin's Statements
On Puerto Rico Disputed
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor OF The Star:
In your edition of April there ap-
peared an article, I'VE, the People" by
Jay Franklin, in which he charges
Gen. Blanton Winship and DR.. Ernest
Gruening with failure in Puerto Rico
and expresses the opinion that they
should resign at once.
With all due respect to Mr.. Franklin,
I feel that he has been grossly unfair
to both Gov. Winship and DR.. Gruening.
The present regime, in Washington
and Puerto Rico, is not responsible for
present conditions in Puerto Rico. On
the contrary, both the Federal Govern
ment and the island administration have
been untiring in their efforts to improve
financial and social conditions.
The unfortunate affair in Ponce is
one more outcome of what has gone
before. I feel that any unrest now exist
ing in Puerto Rico Is the result of the
lack of consistent and constructive pro-
cedure on the part of all the Federal
administrations up to that of President
Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The American people had no expert
ence in colonial government and never,
to my knowledge, was there an effort
made to study the problem from all
angles and to adopt plan outlining
what the future of Puerto Rico was to
be. Puerto Rico still is today unincorpo-
rated territory and only in 1917 was
American citizenship granted the people.
Had these things been done In the early
days after the signing of the treaty of
Paris, and especially if the ultimate
political status of the island had been
made known, the basis for most of the
agitation and discomfort would have
been removed.
Mr.. Franklin states that "Since then,
treat them rough has been the Winship,
Gruening policy" This is an erroneous
statement. Until the arrival of Gov.
Winship, certain turbulent elements did
practically as they wished, to the detri-
ment Of the vast majority of laW-abiding
citizens. Since Gov. Winship's arrival
the laWless element has been given to
understand that the forces of law and
| order must be respected.
II my contention is correct that pres
| ent difficulties date back to the begin
| ming OF the American occupation, then
| Mr.. Franklin's charges fall fiat unless
| he can show an aggravation of symptoms,
| instead Of as most of us believe an
| Improvement. Other statements made
| by Mr.. Franklin can be answered. but
| I ask for no more space than necessary
| to refutation of his major charge A
| residence of 80 years in Puerto Rico
and careful observation of progress made
| qualities me, I think, to express an
| opinion on the problems of our island
In conclusion permit me to say that
1t would be difficult to find two men who
have the interests of Puerto Rico at
| heart more completely and intelligently
than Gov. Winship and DR.. Gruening,
| or who devote more time and energy
| to the proposition of inducing the Con-
| gress to concede Puerto Rico the bene-
| fits of all legislation to the same extent
that it is granted to the various States
| Legislation such as Home Owners Loan
Corp, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp,
social security act, were not applicable
to Puerto Rico when originally approved;
the Federal Reserve act still does not
apply, the Costigan-Jones sugar act
Disseminated unjustly against both
Hawaii and Puerto Rico, a condition
which feel should always have existed
and the lack of which has provided
certain justification for the belief that
Puerto Rico occupied an inferior status
| in the Nation.
ADA F. COCHRAN.
San Juan, P. r.