The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1943-01-05

foreign in atmosphere than Mas
sau or Bermuda, which have
done enormous tourist business
es that went far toward main
tanning their otherwise decrepit
economies.
Spanish is the almost univer-
sal language. The non-native
population is very small. Semi
tropical fruits and flowers and
architecture, Latin customs and
habits give the visitor sense of
being far from home.
The climate is remarkably
equable. 1t never is cold, and
on the hottest days one has only
to stop under a palm trees shade
and let the neXer-ceasing trade
winds cool him off.
Other places less favored by
Nature have capitalized the
tourist trade profitably Why
hasn't this American possession,
with all the Federal funds that
have been expended for its re-
lief?
Several important reasons are
given, of which some will cease
to exist after the war and others
could easily be removed.
The harbor was so shallow
that only one important cruise
ship has ventured to make San
Juan a port of call. This now
has been deepened so that any
liner afloat, unless the Queen
Mary, could safely put in.
Before the war there was only
one passenger ship a week, half
filled with business men and
students, leaving capacity for no
more than 125 tourists. Three
clipper trips weekly from Miami
did not supplement this suffi-
GENTLY to support a major tour
ist business.
Until recently there was only
one first class hotel. Two more,
and some attractive apartment
houses, now have been built.
Outside San Juan there were
few acceptable restaurants and
little diversion except enjoying
the scenery and drinking those
inimitable daiquiris that visitors
to the island never seem to for
get.
San Juan has provided for the
military population new bars.
second rate night clubs, restaur-
ants and gambling houses. Cock
fights are legal; there is q gov
ernment-sponsored lottery; base
ball, tennis, golf, horse-racing
are available, and facilities cas-
lily could be expanded.
When General Winship was
governor he tried to build up
Tourismo as a source of big rev.
enues. From the legislature he
obtained 100000 through a
one ent-a-pound tax on salt, to
finance an exploitation and ad-
vertising program through an
Institute of TouriSm.
Because few Americans have
learned that this American is
land offers more of the exotic
than most foreign places to
which they have been going; be-
cause of the transportation and
hotel situations; it worked out
that the tourist income just
about equalled the amount
spent to get it. One Of the first
acts of Munoz Marins Popu-
lares government was to kill off
the Institute of Tourism.
MAY AID GREATLY
While there is reason to won
der whether Puerto Rico ever
can be made self-sustaining on
any decent living basis, it is
possible that Tourismo can be
made to help greatly.
So much has been done by the
Government for the Army and
Navy, and so much by local cap
ital to get business from soldiers
and sailors, that after the war
the Island will be very differ
ent place than it was.
A well-coordinated program
to provide hotels, restaurants
and recreational facilities all
over the island. to make more OF
the inviting beaches available
for swimmers, would provide a
foundation upon which q smart
well-financed promotional cam.
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