Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-06-29
BY FRED THEROUX
star stan Writer

otnF stan Wfiter
SAN JUAN, Puerto RIco-This
lively little island commonwealth
IS discovering that It's amazing
economic progress Is not It's only
attraction 10 the world. Increas-
lngly. and especially since the ugly
Experiences Of Vice President
Nixon In Caracas. Bogata and
Lama. the political institutions Of
this 'Estada Libre Asociado" are
getting q closer and mostly ia
sorable look from statesmen Of
other nations.
In Washington. the attacks on
The Nixon party last month
brought dismayed calls for ire
appraisal" Of United States policy
toward Latin America. Diplomats
ind political leaders, long &C
tustomed TO depending almost
without question on the solidarity
Of the Western Hemisphere In In
ternational affairs. began asking
the bewildered question-"Whyp"
Ready at hand for the ques-
toners was the contrast between
the reception Mr.. and Mrs. Nixon
got In Caracas and the one they
received In this capital OF an
American Commonwealth.
Despite a driving rain, Puerto
Ricans thronged the streets along
which the vice presidential party
drove to La Forteleza, ancient and
beautiful residence Of Puerto
Rico's governors. But these Latin
American crowds were all smiles,
cheers and friendliness. As in
Caracas, the crowds halted the
motorcade-but there were no rot
ten eggs, rocks, decayed fruit or
faces contorted by hate.
Autonomy Under Two Flogs
Luis Munoz Marin, Puerto
Rico's poet-governor and chief
architect Of the unique arrange
ment by which this crowded little
island enjoys complete internal
autonomy under two fiags-the
stars and Stripes and the flag Of
Puerto Rico-welcomed the Nix
ons with true Hispanic regrets
that insults had been offered TO a
lady. The evening at La Forteleza
was a great success and great
relief for the Nixons. But 1t has
turned out to be much more than
that.
What Gov. Munoz hopes for as
result of the Nixon incidents is
a wider appreciation of the oppor-
tunity afforded United States for
eign policy in the example Of
Puerto Rico. This once-Spanish
colony is both thoroughly Latin
and thoroughly American. In the
years since the present Common
wealth was established, by q COM
pact between the United States
Congress and the insular govern
ment, ratified by the Puerto Rican
people in q referendum, Puerto
Rico has served as both q window
and a showcase.
As q window, 1t gives American
policymakers q good look at Latin
American methods, hopes, aspira-
tons, accomplishments and lini-
tations. 1t demonstrates in con-
crete terms that the nations Of
Central and South America need
not be constantly torn by revolt
tons, governed by "caudillos" who
fight only for power and wealth,
nor impoverished by widespread
ana grand-scale corruption. And
1t provides a Spanish-speaking
American culture as a ready
made link between North America
and the Latin nations to the
south.
Thousands Visit lsIonds
AS a showcase. it has been
enormously popular to visitors
from all over the world anxious
to see what the Puerto Rican
economy has done under the Wig
orous "Fomento" program, admin
istered by an energetic and en-
thusiastic man who won't slow
down even when the doctors tell
him he must. Teodoro Moscoso.
Literally, a steady stream of
thousands of official and semi
offlcial visitors have come to
Puerto Rico over the last few
years, representing countries all
over the world. For the most part,
they have come from nations and
areas where the problems Of
colonialism and economic under
development have been similar to
those faced by Puerto Rico.
But the amazing successes Of
the Puerto Ricans in lifting them
selves out of a morass of poverty
have been described many times,
always with overtones of incre-
dulity that an island almost totally
devoid of any natural resources
except people" as Gov. Munoz
Is fond of saying, could have
achieved the results of the last
10 years.
increasingly, visitors from other
parts Of the world are showing
interest in the political tnstitu-
tons that have made "Fomento"
and Operation Bootstrap" pos
sible, while preserving for the
citizens Of Puerto Rico a freedom
politically under an honest and
efficient representative govern
ment probably unmatched in any
similarly economically unfavored
region in the world.
A week ago, for example, DR..
Cheddi B. Jagan. leader of the
majority party in British Guiana,
visited La Forteleza en- route TO
london: DR.. Jagan, who would