Evening star., 1938-05-29
The New Deal in Puerto Rico
Successful of
Tourist Trade Holds Promise.

again, no one has yet demonstrated that
these possibilities ever will become profit
able realities on q scale big enough to fur
nish any substantial amount of employ.
ment.
Far more promising is another project
fostered not by the P. r. r. A., but by the
insular government, designed to build .
large tourist business in Puerto Rico Up
to the present time Puerto Rico has at
tracted relatively few tourists, but many
individuals who have visited there main
tain that the island easily could be estab-
lished as one of the leading resorts in that
part of the world.
Comfortable Range of Climate.
From the standpoint of climate natural
beauty and historic interest, Puerto Rico
unquestionably offers all that any visitor
could ask The island has no prolonged
rainy season, as have most other tropical
places, and the weather never is excessively
hot or cold In fact, United States
Weather Bureau figures show that Puerto
temperatures. The visitor can easily find
cool weather, as low as 40 degrees at times,
in the nearby mountains, where it usually
is necessary to sleep under blankets, yet in
San Juan the thermometer never has regis
tered higher than "a degrees nor lower
than 81 degrees.
Furthermore, the climate is about as cool
on the average in summer as in winter. due
mostly to the constant trade winds which
temper the tropical weather. The average
temperature is in the 70s every month of
the year and even on the coast the nights
are seldom hot
The mountain range which runs almost
the entire length of the island adds greatly
to the scenic beauty. furnishing a combina-
ton OF seashore and mountains which few
Of improved highways open up almost every
corner of the mountainous country to the
tourist. A drive through the mountains
with their fascinating tropical beauty. pic
turesque rural settlements. and thrilling
curves appeals strongly to visitors. One
can journey from the beach club at San
Juan to the 3,400- -foot-high national forest
at Loquillo in 80 minutes or less. Other
cool spots in the mountains are even closer
The historic interest arises from the fact
that Puerto Rico is the only place where
Christopher Columbus ever set foot on
United States soil and from the old Spanish
forts where the followers of Ponce de Leon,
the islands first Governor, repelled Dutch
and British adventures. There also are
many interesting churches and shrines,
built hundreds of years ago.
Splendid Fishing Reported.
Puerto Rico also offers splendid mountain
trails. through the coffee country, for lovers
of horseback riding and its nearby waters
are said to be splendid for deep-sea fishing.
Competent authorities have stated that the
home of the giant tuna is in the deep waters
off the east coast of the island, although to
date none of really large variety has been
caught. There are, however, plenty of small
er tuna and large numbers of bonita, SAIL
fish, marlin, kingfish and other smaller
kinds In addition, rainbow trout have
uctil pldlllCu III SOllC VI tiiC AAoAAy
streams.
The obstacles to developing Puerto Rico
as a popular resort are shortage Of first
class hotels and restaurants and inadequate
facilities for recreation. The island has had
horse racing for some years. and this year
opened dog-racing track. There are sew
eral sporty golf courses. first-rate beach
<oJ Al
commodations for discriminating tourists,
but not enough to help greatly from the
income standpoint even If all were filled up
every day in the year.
1t is by providing such facilities that the
P. r. r. A. could be really helpful. and it
seems certain that the tourist business Of
fers greater opportunities for bringing in
increased income than all of the other P. r.
R. A. projects put together, assuming that
they all would be successful. One new large
hotel, two or three mountain lodges, small
fleet of fishing boats and several new bath
ing beaches are all that Puerto Rico needs
at the present time to get into the tourist
business on large and profitable scale.
Having financed the rehabilitation of a
hotel in the Virgin Islands, and constructed
tourist facilities in various national parks,
the Interior Department has set a good
precedent for giving similar aid to Puerto
Rico. The facilities which are suggested
offer every promise of being self-supporting
and Of earning a profit.
Ignored by p. r. r. A.
To date. however, the P. r. r. A. has
made no effort to aid this program, pre-
ferring to spend its effort and funds in
other directions But with its past and
present plans for creating employment fall
ing so far short of the goal, generous sup
port for the tourist program would seem to
be wise move.
The insular government has provided
funds, aggregating about 5000, 900 annually,
for the tourist program and has already
begun an ambitious advertising and promo
tional campaign, but the full benefits of
those plans can be attained only when the
extra facilities are provided. and the
amount of private capital available for that
purpose in Puerto Rico is quite small.
Merely appropriating another 10000
900 Of Federal money over and above the
$40, 900 900 which already has been spent
in Puerto Rico will not answer the question.
The $10,000,000 unquestionably will be
needed, and more millions along with 1t.
before the little island can be put On the