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{
    "localId": "290018959",
    "label": "Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and Luis Munoz Marin",
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    "id": "290018959",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290018959",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and Luis Munoz Marin",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290018959",
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    "levelOfDescription": "item",
    "productionDates": [
        {
            "logicalDate": "1946-07-01",
            "month": 7,
            "year": 1946
        }
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{
    "seq": 2,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750357/750357-14-002.tif",
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    "ocrText": "Senate of Buerto Rico\nLuis Muñoz Marin,\nPresident.\nSan Juan, P. R.\nJuly 15, 1946\nHon. Harry S. Truman\nThe White House\nWashington, D. C.\nMy dear Mr. President:\nIt is with sincere understanding that I appreciate\nthe trouble you are taking, in the midst of pressing\nnational affairs, in selecting a governor for Puerto\nRico. I believe, however, that the selection is not as\ndifficult as it appears.\nYou wish to appoint a man that the minority will\nnot disapprove. Obviously it should be a man that the\nmajority approves, as minorities cannot be given veto\npower over majorities. In terms of pure democracy the\nman is Commissioner Piñero, overwhelmingly elected to a\nmajor post by the people, whether the minority approves\nhim or not. It is on such terms that every President\nin the United States since George Washington has held\noffice.\nHowever, in terms of good-enough democracy, a man\nendorsed by the majority and unopposed by the minority\nwould perhaps be better in practice. Such a man is very\ndifficult to find, but there is one in Puerto Rico: Mr.\nEsteban Bird, (a Puerto Rican in spite of the surname),\na liberal economist who for the past five years has been\na leading banker as vicepresident of the \"Crédito y Ahorro\nPonceño Bank\" and manager of its San Juan Branch. He has\nthe endorsement of Mr. P. J. Serrallés, the biggest Puerto\nRican sugar producer, as well as that of the majority Popular\nDemocratic Party. He would be unopposed by the business\ninterests. He is not a member of the majority party, or\nof any party so far as known, although his liberal economic\nideas place him in a position of simpathy and understanding\nfor the program voted for by the people. I believe he is\nprobably the only man existing in Puerto Rico who can have\nthe approval of conflicting social, economic and political\ninterests.\nWith very best wishes,\nSincerely yours,\nLuis Muñoz Marin"
}