Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-15

wal Dlousllt
Puerto Rico under the United States
Gag. The World War brought Ameri-
can citizenship to the people of the
island in time to make the male citi-
xens eligible for the draft. Thus, it is
not strange that the nearly two million
people of the Caribbean Territory expect
to gain an advantage from the present
war crisis. And the boon they antici-
pate is statehood.
The islands hopes of becoming the
10Th State are based on Puerto Rico IS
recent designation as a national defense
outpost, where the United States Army
and Navy are spending upward of
$50, 100000 on huge air and submarine
bases, on its greatly magnified impor-
tance as a cultural and political link
between this country and the rest of
Latin America. and on the long delayed
action of Congress in passing the wage
hour amendments that are expected to
save the vital needlework industry. The
first two developments give the island a
new prestige; the third indicates that
Congress at last is becoming more SYM
pathetic to Puerto Rican problems.
Washington Group Active.
Since there is no chance that their
goal will be reached during the current
session, even though a bill was intro
duced in the House by Resident Com
missioner Bolivar Pagan, the next six
months will see intensive activity on
the statehood question
A group of Puerto Ricans residing in
Washington started the drive recently
by Incorporating an organization dedi-
Gated to bringing the statehood issue
out into the open in the Capital. The
movement has been promoted agrees
eively for many years, but gained new
momentum a year ago when former
Gov. Blanton Winship, in a farewell
address, wished the island good luck in
its fight for statehood. Then the cam
paign won many new active supporters
as the spread of war in Europe made
the chances brighter.
The desire for statehood arises from
two distinct motives First of all, many
Puerto Ricans resent what some of
them refer 10 as an inferior colonial
status under which the island is claSsed
as a possession or unincorporated Ter
ritory. They insist that. as American
citizens. they be given the full privileges
enjoyed by American citizens in the As
States. Most of the Puerto Rican peo-
pie feel that the island now is fully
prepared to assume its place as a State
after having experienced 40 years of
democratic government and having fitted
herself into the democratic scheme OF
life.
In the second place, leaders in the
Territory finally have aw~Gened fully to
the economic handicaps arising from
their lack of political power in Wash
ington. Though Puerto Rico has a resi-
dent commissioner in Congress, that
representative has no vote. AS re-
suit, when legislation arises that is detri-
mental to the islands interests Puerto
Rico has little influence in Congress,
except an appeal to sympathy and fair
play.
Trouble Is ThreefOld.
However, the island does not charge
Congress with deliberately ignoring its
interests or with any lack of good in
tentions. The trouble is threefold:
First, too many members of Congress
do rot fully comprehend the serious af-
feet of some of the recent national leg
islation on insular economy; second,
Puerto Rico is only small part of the
country and does not command a great
deal of individual attention or consider
alton; and third, the Islands needs
sometimes conflict with the interests of
States which do have voice in deter
mining legislation.
The lack of political influence caused
relatively little concern until 1884, when
Congress passed the first sugar quota
legislation and opened the way for the
reciprocal trade agreement program.
Those acts reduced sugar production and
employment drastically, as we'll as de-
pressing the pineapple and several lesser
industries.
Alarm over the effect of these de-
,velopments was allayed temporarily in
1885 when President Roosevelt estab-
lished the Puerto Rico Reconstruction
Administration (P r. r. Al, which was
to have 100000 to rehabilitate. re-
to date actually has received about $780,
100000. But then in 1887 Puerto Rico's
production of suga-, its one big crop,
was reduced still further when the quota