The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1945-04-03
By CHARLES r. McCABE

WASHINGTON-(U.H-A del
egation of Puerto Rican legis-
lators will arrive here soon to
give the U. S. Senate its views
on whether their tiny Caribbean
island should be freed from the
United States under terms of an
independence bill drawn up by
Sen. Willard F. Tydings 3D.,
Md
Preliminary hearings h d
early in March revealed surpris-
ingIv strong support for indie
pendence in Puerto Rico, which
only a few years ago was vocal
in its desire to become the 49th
state of the Union.
Eleven senators and % island
representatives sent a cable to
Senator Tydings giving strong
support to his bill. Many in
formed persons believe that
when hearings are resumed late
in April, after the end of the in
sular legislative session, virtual
ly the entire legislature of 80
representatives and 10 senator's
will be behind the bill.
LED BY MUNOZ MARIN
The Puerto Rican delegation
will be headed by Don Luis
Munoz Marin, president Of the
Senate and the islands leading
political figure, and DR.. Francis
co Susoni, speaker of the House
of Representatives.
An important factor in the
ultimate fate of the bill will be
the stand taken by Munoz Mar
in, who in the '30s was Puerto
Rico's most influential and arti-
culate "independista" in Wash,
ington, but who has been soft,
pedaling the issue since his as
cent to island domination as
head of the Popular Democratic
Party In l94O.
1t is reported by friends OF
Munoz that, while he still be-
lieves deeply in political indie
pendence for his island, he also
fears that it will mean economic
slavery if the protection given
the island by its inclusion with
in the U. S. tariff walls is re-
moved.
His opinion of the Tydings bill
as now drawn is not high. Re-
Gently he told as much to poll.
tical gathering in San Juan
There was once a famous Am
erican named Patrick Henry
he related, "who said give me
liberty or give me death. Now
there's another American named
Tydings who wants to give US
both at the same time"
TARIFF PRIME FACTOR
However, many Puerto Ricans
pin their hopes for economic
salvation under independence
on an amendment to the Tyd-
ings- McDuffie Act recently ad,
vanced by jaime Hernandez
Finance Secretary of the Phil
ippine Commonwealth, asking
that existing trade relationships
between the U. S. and the Phil
ippines be continued for period
of 20 years following the grant
ing of independence to the Pa
cific islands.
The ydings-McDuffie bill fol-
the Philippines, and the Puerto
Rican bill, both provide fol-
gradual removal of tariff protec-
ton from the islands, at the rate
of five per cent yearly for 20
years until all tariff ties are
severed. Tydings has said the
Filipino request will get a Sym
pathetic hearing" from Con.
gress, and the Puerto Ricans fee
that Congress cannot consistent
ly withhold anything from Puer.
to Ricans which they woulo
grant another subject people.
Another touchy matter which
will be discussed when the Sen.
ate hearings reopen will be U. S
military rights in the proposed
Puerto Rican republic. In the
preliminary hearings Concep
cion de Garcia, president Of the
Pro-Independence Congress o.
Puerto Rico. told the Territor.
| -, Cornv,;<too that D,,ortn RiC.