Evening star., 1951-10-21
By Edword TomIinson


thereof. any writing or publication
which advocates the necessity, de-
STABILITY, or convenience of over
throwing. paralyZing, or subverting
the insular government, or any politi-
cal subdivision thereof. by means OF
force or violence" and further. that
all trials for any violation Of this
act shall be heard by court without
jury" ..s+.
(The law was hurriedly enacted
during an outbreak of students in
1948 which. it was feared, might end
in bloodshed. Most publicized use
of the act was after the attempted
assassination Of President Truman
last November / at Blair House.
Pedro AlbiZu Campos, head Of the
Nationalist Party. was charged with
subversive activity-one of his letters
having been found on the dead
Grisello Torresola. one Of the would
be assassins. Albizu later was con-
victed Of attempted murder Of one
Of the police laying siege to his
house and of possessing firearms and
explosives illegally and was SEN
fenced to II to Is years. His third
conviction. under Law So. came Au-
gust 16 and he was sentenced to II
to 81 years more for advocating and
teaching the overthrow of the Gov
eminent by force. The Smith-C Con-
nally Act, after which the law was
patterned, already had been tested
IN the case Of the II Communists)
1t should be noted that the law
clearly states that such punishment
guilty Of advocating the use Of force
and violence" to gain the various
ends specified in the act. Nor is
there any question that this piece Of
legislation was aimed primarily at
subversive elements, such as the
fanatical Nationalists and extreme
leftists and Communists, who were
particularly active in the Caribbean
in 1948.
Popers Freely Criticize
Certainly the Puerto Rican press
has been generous with criticism and
condemnation of many Of the policies
and acts of the Munoz administra-
ton. Ell Mundo and Impartial. two
of the leading papers Of San Juan.
are both considered ardently anti
administration publications. AS re-
Gently as August, El Dia. principal
newspaper of Ponce. second city Of
the island, published long article
under the signature of Pedro Juan
Barbosa, charging that dictator
ship" exists in Puerto Rico. In
fact" declares the Ponce writer, ito
deny that dictatorship exists in
this island would be as stupid as to
deny the very existence of Cod"
Whatever the intent of the So
called gag law" there seems to be
no lack of courage on the part of
some Puerto Rican newspapers to
speak with brutal frankness about
what they consider to be the short
comings of their government. The
one serious question which Puerto
Ricans themselves raise about the
law. is the fact that any alleged
violator of it's provisions shall be
tried by a court without Jury" This.
however, does not imply the same
denial of individual rights as it
would In the United States.
Their feelings on the subject can
be better understood when it is pointed
out that in Puerto Rico, district
courts. corresponding to our superior
courts, do not have jurisdiction over
certain regions or communities of the
island. Judges are appointed by the
Attorney General to try specific cases.
Incidentally, the Attorney General Is
political appointee. who is the vice
Governor. in that he succeeds to the
governorship in case Of the death or
Interpretation of the chief executive.
Apparently such wholesale con-
formations as that published by El
Dia at home, and recent widely pub
licizeds criticisms in the press on the
mainland. have gotten under the skin
Of Gov. Munoz. The nsular lesisla-