Evening star., 1938-11-13
Puerto Rico Begins Payment
To Big Brother United States
TINY Ward Becomes Asset to Security in Wal
Plans and Measures Policy of
Good Neighborliness.
Bv Everen Wilson.

The recent statement by high-rank-
ing naval officer that the United States
Navy considers Puerto Rico to be of the
utmost strategic importance is another
link in chain of events which may turn
the little Caribbean island into definite
asset to the States whereas some authori-
ties had been labelling it as an economic
burden.
During most of its first 40 years under
the American flag, Puerto Rico seemingly
offered little hope of contributing sub
stantially to the welfare of the country,
because of its limited natural resources,
Its low per capita income and the extreme
overpopulation. Various developments of
the last few years now indicate, however,
that the little island is prepared to make
several contributions that may more than
repay the United States for the financial
assistance Puerto Rico has been receiving
The islands contribution to national
defense is unexpected, since the Nays
announcement marks second reversal
of opinion. Originally Puerto Rico was
acquired from Spain partly because it
was believed to be strategically located
for the defense of the Eastern seaboard
and later for the Panama Canal. Then
the idea was dropped until this year,
when the Navy decided to study the de-
STABILITY of establishing an airplane base
there. AS result of that visit, Puerto
Rico has been put back on the defense
map, and funds have been requested for
establishing airplane bases for both the
Army and the Navy. San Juan Harbor
offers unlimited space for seaplanes, and
low lands adjoining the present airport
can easily be filled in to accommodate
the largest land planes.
Measuring Stick of Policy.
Meanwhile, Puerto Rico has been as
suming greater Importance to the United
States in other directions In the first
place, the island undoubtedly will play a
prominent part in the promotion of Presi-
dent Franklin D. Roosevelt's good neigh
bor' policy, for it cannot help but serve
as measuring stick by which the various
Central and South American countries
will judge the application of that policy
and its value. Lying 400 miles south and
east of New York and just 18 degrees
above the Equator, the island has the
same Spanish and Latin American back
ground as its Caribbean and South
American neighbors. Basically 1t is made
up Of practically the same kind of peo-
pie, with the same general ideals and
traditions and with almost identical tenn
peraments.
The fact that the United States Gov
ernment and it's officials and citizens
have been able to deal smoothly and con-
structively with Puerto Rico in spirit of
mutual help and understanding and
the ability of the island to demonstrate
that the principles of Northern democ-
racy are applicable to Latin American
people will go far toward establishing the
confidence which the present administra-
tion wishes to create between this coun-
try and its neighbors to the south.
Secondly, Puerto Rico the most tropi-
cal area under the American flag, is
serving in various ways as laboratory
which contributes handsomely to the
scientific, social and economic knowledge
NOoAA Va CAlC o1AlCu OUdUcS d1lu VI IllC
countries to the west and south. The
accumulative research and experimental
ton which have been conducted in
Puerto Rico during its 40 years under
the American flag are already producing
fruits which will be immensely valuable
to all areas of similar background and
climate, as we'll as to the United States,
Uhnco ic o1,,
southern neighbors. Other projects are
proposed which will greatly augment the
islands contributions.
Citizens Run Own Affairs.
The principles of democracy seem on
the whole to have worked we'll in Puerto
Rico. The island in 1893 had had little
experience in government, let alone
constitutional democratic government.
Plans for sort of autonomy had been
announced by the Spanish crown, but
those plans never materialized because
of the Spanish-American War; Today,
the people of Puerto Rico largely run
their own affairs. Their Governor, the
Federal and Supreme Court judges and
few other insular officials are appointed
by the President of the United States,
but the people elect the members of
their bicameral legislature, they choose
their own municipal judges and officials
and make their own laws in the same
way as does any State in the Union.
Under this arrangement, Puerto Rico
Is as laW-abiding as any populous area
IN the world. The United States has
maintained no naval or marine forces
on the island and only one regiment
OF infantry, which has never been called
on or needed to maintain order since the
civil government was set up following
the American occupation.
Moreover, the people as whole are
well satisfied with their close association
with the United States. Those who wish
to see Puerto Rico remain a permanent
part of the United States, with still closer
relations In the future, far outnumber
the few who genuinely desire independ-
ence, and the small group of fanatics
who have created disturbances in recent
years.
In addition, the Federal Government
has been relatively generous in provid-
ing the island with relief and other Fed
eral funds with which to combat its
economic problems resulting from over
population, from the two depressions of
the 1930s and from the devastating hur-