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RESTRICTED RESTRICTED -271- -272- "Requests for information made to insular The subcommittee did conclude, however, that "It has officials were as apt to be met by silence or become necessary for this country to really do something evasion as by direct reply. One of the serious to help Puerto Rico. 11 handicaps of the subcommittee in making its studies was the lack of adequate statistical Resident Commissioner Jesus T. Piñero, in his information compiled and available from the capacity as a member of the Committee on Insular Affairs, insular government. 11 submitted a minority report in which he attempted to refute the majority's criticism of the insular Govern- One of the recommendations reads: "Strengthen insular ment's reform legislation by showing it to be similar statistical services because of serious handicap caused to that enacted by Congress and by State Legislatures. by lack of complete and adequate information from which The subcommittee's comparison between fascist and insular to chart insular policies. 12 The report declared, in legislation he termed "inept, inaccurate, and totally summary without foundation. 112 The subcommittee realizes that although Governor Tugwell observed in February 1946 that it has been studying the problems of Puerto Rico the report probably had a "reverse effect! in the for a little over a year and a half, much remains direction of creating sympathy for the effort "to to be learned. If Congress in the future is to ameliorate the condition of the impoverished masses. 113 discharge its duties in reference to the people In any case, the report had no substantial deterrent of Puerto Rico, it is imperative that it take effect on subsequent developments. The insular Govern- steps to become more adequately informed of the ment proceeded with the industrialization policy and problems and their causes. The problems of Puerto indeed expanded its scope. Rico are difficult to solve. They are complex. We have no experience from circumstances and con- ditions on the mainland which can be used as the I. Views of Secretary Ickes, 1944 basis for solving Puerto Rico's problems. It is recommended, therefore, that the Congress direct Secretary of the Interior Ickes, in his testimony that further studies of Puerto Rico be made so before the House subcommittee in May 1944, dealt with that a long-term plan of social, political, and the "Puerto Rican problem. The problem, he said, is economic development can be adopted as a Congres- not, as is sometimes supposed, an "incurable plague' sional policy. 113 and is not insoluble" if treated "positively instead of negatively. Of the two phases of the problem-- political and economic--he felt that the former would 1 Ibid., p. 2. be largely solved by the enactment of the bill recommended 2I p. 38. On the other hand, the Senate sub- by the President's Committee on the Revision of the Organic committee stated in its preliminary report of Jan. 1943: Act in 1943. 4 As for the economic aspect, he stated (1) "There is at present an inexhaustible amount of material collected in the course of many years, available for a thorough and complete investigation. II Hearings 1Ibid., p. 3. Pursuant to S. Res. 26, p. 301. It may be noted that 2House Report No. 497, part 2, pp. 45-50. an insular Office of Statistics had been created on Nov. 17, 1941; Hearings Pursuant to H. Res. 159, 3Tugwell, Message to the Sixteenth Legislature, p. 14. Appendix, p. 194. 3 House Report No. 497, p. 42. 4see ante, pp. 37-38. RESTRICTION RUSTRISTED

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    "ocrText": "RESTRICTED\nRESTRICTED\n-271-\n-272-\n\"Requests for information made to insular\nThe subcommittee did conclude, however, that \"It has\nofficials were as apt to be met by silence or\nbecome necessary for this country to really do something\nevasion as by direct reply. One of the serious\nto help Puerto Rico. 11\nhandicaps of the subcommittee in making its\nstudies was the lack of adequate statistical\nResident Commissioner Jesus T. Piñero, in his\ninformation compiled and available from the\ncapacity as a member of the Committee on Insular Affairs,\ninsular government. 11\nsubmitted a minority report in which he attempted to\nrefute the majority's criticism of the insular Govern-\nOne of the recommendations reads: \"Strengthen insular\nment's reform legislation by showing it to be similar\nstatistical services because of serious handicap caused\nto that enacted by Congress and by State Legislatures.\nby lack of complete and adequate information from which\nThe subcommittee's comparison between fascist and insular\nto chart insular policies. 12 The report declared, in\nlegislation he termed \"inept, inaccurate, and totally\nsummary\nwithout foundation. 112\nThe subcommittee realizes that although\nGovernor Tugwell observed in February 1946 that\nit has been studying the problems of Puerto Rico\nthe report probably had a \"reverse effect! in the\nfor a little over a year and a half, much remains\ndirection of creating sympathy for the effort \"to\nto be learned. If Congress in the future is to\nameliorate the condition of the impoverished masses.\n113\ndischarge its duties in reference to the people\nIn any case, the report had no substantial deterrent\nof Puerto Rico, it is imperative that it take\neffect on subsequent developments. The insular Govern-\nsteps to become more adequately informed of the\nment proceeded with the industrialization policy and\nproblems and their causes. The problems of Puerto\nindeed expanded its scope.\nRico are difficult to solve. They are complex.\nWe have no experience from circumstances and con-\nditions on the mainland which can be used as the\nI. Views of Secretary Ickes, 1944\nbasis for solving Puerto Rico's problems. It is\nrecommended, therefore, that the Congress direct\nSecretary of the Interior Ickes, in his testimony\nthat further studies of Puerto Rico be made so\nbefore the House subcommittee in May 1944, dealt with\nthat a long-term plan of social, political, and\nthe \"Puerto Rican problem. The problem, he said, is\neconomic development can be adopted as a Congres-\nnot, as is sometimes supposed, an \"incurable plague'\nsional policy. 113\nand is not insoluble\" if treated \"positively instead\nof negatively. Of the two phases of the problem--\npolitical and economic--he felt that the former would\n1 Ibid., p. 2.\nbe largely solved by the enactment of the bill recommended\n2I p. 38. On the other hand, the Senate sub-\nby the President's Committee on the Revision of the Organic\ncommittee stated in its preliminary report of Jan. 1943:\nAct in 1943. 4 As for the economic aspect, he stated (1)\n\"There is at present an inexhaustible amount of material\ncollected in the course of many years, available for a\nthorough and complete investigation. II Hearings\n1Ibid., p. 3.\nPursuant to S. Res. 26, p. 301. It may be noted that\n2House Report No. 497, part 2, pp. 45-50.\nan insular Office of Statistics had been created on\nNov. 17, 1941; Hearings Pursuant to H. Res. 159,\n3Tugwell, Message to the Sixteenth Legislature,\np. 14.\nAppendix, p. 194.\n3 House Report No. 497, p. 42.\n4see ante, pp. 37-38.\nRESTRICTION\nRUSTRISTED"
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