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RESTRICTED
DECLASSIFIED
-96-
Authority E.O. 10501
-97-
invoked. In his elaborate reply of February 28, 1928, 1
he pointed out that the argument of the Legislature
He would, however, make no commital as to the future
1
regarding representation at the Habana Conference was
status of Puerto Rico beyond the following conclusion:
misplaced because no Ternitory of the United States was
represented there. He dwelt on the great progress made
"There is no disposition in America, and
by the Puerto Ricans under United States sovereignty in
certainly not on my part, to discourage any
the form of the various benefits conferred on the island;
reasonable aspiration of the people of Porto
sought to refute the "colonial status" charge by pointing
Rico. The island has so improved and its people
out that the island enjoyed greater self-government than
have so progressed in the last generation as to
any State or Territory of the United States; denied the
justify high hopes for the future, but it is
charge that the United States had made pledges respecting
certainly not unreasonable to ask that those who
the island which it had failed to fulfill; and asked the
speak for Porto Rico limit their petition to those
following rhetorical question with respect to the connec-
things which may be granted without a denial of
tion between autonomy and economic conditions mentioned
such hope. II
by the Legislature:
When, seven years later, in May-June 1935, hearings
"In what way, by a greater grant of autonomy,
were held on a Statehood bill, 2 no Federal official ap-
could Porto Rico so look after the market for its
peared to declare the Government's position.
products or the market for its bonds, or in what
way could it improve the economic position of its
During the deliberations, in 1943, of the Presi-
government or its people?"
dent's Committee on the Revision of the Organic Act,
the Federal representatives strenuously sought to avoid
any commitment, or even recommendation, relative to the
status issue, except for the vague provision, included
(Footnote continued from preceding page)
in the recommended bill, that further revisions of the
Jan. 16 to the effect that the United States is committed
Organic Act should not be effected without the consent
to the principle that the people of Latin America "are
of the people in the island. Under Secretary of the
better fitted, to govern themselves than anyone else is
to govern them, The explanation went on to say: 'Per-
haps we did not observe established precedents of diplo-
macy; but we might say in atonement of our attitude that
1Ibid., P. 6337.
ours is also a case without precedent and that diplomacy
is made for peoples enjoying their own sovereignty to the
Hearing
on H.R. 1394, p. 1. The bill was
fullest degree. We are trying by all means to submit our
introduced by Resident Commissioner Santiago Iglesias,
plea for absolute self-government to the American people
who represented the Coalition, namely the combination
and to Congress by presenting to them the contrast between
of the Union-Republican and Socialist Parties, both
Cuban independênce, acknowledged, and protected by the
of which have traditionally advocated Statehood, The
United States, and the case of Porto Rico, which is on
Coalition won its first electoral victory in 1932.
the same level, at least, as Cuba, but under a political
on April 15, 1934 the Legislature, which was controlled
regime according to which not all the powers of the govern-
by the Coalition, passed a concurrent resolution in
ment are derived from the will of the people. 11: Ibid.,
favor of extensive reforms and ultimate Statehood. Text
p. 6339
of Legislature's concurrent resolution, Congressional
1
Ibid, pp 6335-37 The President said: "There is a
Record, vol. 78, part 8, May 15, 1934, pp. 8816-17.
feeling~ that the United States rentitled to a good
name in its dealing. with Porto Rico and to protect itself
from any reflection on its good name." Ibid., p. 6336.
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"ocrText": "RESTRICTED\nDECLASSIFIED\n-96-\nAuthority E.O. 10501\n-97-\ninvoked. In his elaborate reply of February 28, 1928, 1\nhe pointed out that the argument of the Legislature\nHe would, however, make no commital as to the future\n1\nregarding representation at the Habana Conference was\nstatus of Puerto Rico beyond the following conclusion:\nmisplaced because no Ternitory of the United States was\nrepresented there. He dwelt on the great progress made\n\"There is no disposition in America, and\nby the Puerto Ricans under United States sovereignty in\ncertainly not on my part, to discourage any\nthe form of the various benefits conferred on the island;\nreasonable aspiration of the people of Porto\nsought to refute the \"colonial status\" charge by pointing\nRico. The island has so improved and its people\nout that the island enjoyed greater self-government than\nhave so progressed in the last generation as to\nany State or Territory of the United States; denied the\njustify high hopes for the future, but it is\ncharge that the United States had made pledges respecting\ncertainly not unreasonable to ask that those who\nthe island which it had failed to fulfill; and asked the\nspeak for Porto Rico limit their petition to those\nfollowing rhetorical question with respect to the connec-\nthings which may be granted without a denial of\ntion between autonomy and economic conditions mentioned\nsuch hope. II\nby the Legislature:\nWhen, seven years later, in May-June 1935, hearings\n\"In what way, by a greater grant of autonomy,\nwere held on a Statehood bill, 2 no Federal official ap-\ncould Porto Rico so look after the market for its\npeared to declare the Government's position.\nproducts or the market for its bonds, or in what\nway could it improve the economic position of its\nDuring the deliberations, in 1943, of the Presi-\ngovernment or its people?\"\ndent's Committee on the Revision of the Organic Act,\nthe Federal representatives strenuously sought to avoid\nany commitment, or even recommendation, relative to the\nstatus issue, except for the vague provision, included\n(Footnote continued from preceding page)\nin the recommended bill, that further revisions of the\nJan. 16 to the effect that the United States is committed\nOrganic Act should not be effected without the consent\nto the principle that the people of Latin America \"are\nof the people in the island. Under Secretary of the\nbetter fitted, to govern themselves than anyone else is\nto govern them, The explanation went on to say: 'Per-\nhaps we did not observe established precedents of diplo-\nmacy; but we might say in atonement of our attitude that\n1Ibid., P. 6337.\nours is also a case without precedent and that diplomacy\nis made for peoples enjoying their own sovereignty to the\nHearing\non H.R. 1394, p. 1. The bill was\nfullest degree. We are trying by all means to submit our\nintroduced by Resident Commissioner Santiago Iglesias,\nplea for absolute self-government to the American people\nwho represented the Coalition, namely the combination\nand to Congress by presenting to them the contrast between\nof the Union-Republican and Socialist Parties, both\nCuban independênce, acknowledged, and protected by the\nof which have traditionally advocated Statehood, The\nUnited States, and the case of Porto Rico, which is on\nCoalition won its first electoral victory in 1932.\nthe same level, at least, as Cuba, but under a political\non April 15, 1934 the Legislature, which was controlled\nregime according to which not all the powers of the govern-\nby the Coalition, passed a concurrent resolution in\nment are derived from the will of the people. 11: Ibid.,\nfavor of extensive reforms and ultimate Statehood. Text\np. 6339\nof Legislature's concurrent resolution, Congressional\n1\nIbid, pp 6335-37 The President said: \"There is a\nRecord, vol. 78, part 8, May 15, 1934, pp. 8816-17.\nfeeling~ that the United States rentitled to a good\nname in its dealing. with Porto Rico and to protect itself\nfrom any reflection on its good name.\" Ibid., p. 6336."
}