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270627060
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Press Release, Message from President Harry S. Truman to the United States Congress
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document
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1
Source metadata
id
270627060
contentType
document
title
Press Release, Message from President Harry S. Truman to the United States Congress
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White House Press Release Files (Truman Administration)
White House Press Releases
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270627060
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16
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1945-10-16
month
10
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1945
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nara-archive
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1
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d95024aeab59412c
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HOLD FOR RELEASE
HOLD FOR RELEASE
HOLD FOR RELEASE
October 16, 1945
CONFIDENTIAL To be held in STRICT CONFIDENCE and no portion,
synopsis or intimation to be given out or published until the
READING of the President Message has begun in either the Senate
or House of Representatives. Extreme care must therefore be
exercised to avoid premature publication.
CHARLES G. ROSS
Secretary to the President
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
It is the settled policy of this Government to promote the
political, social and economic development of people who have not
yet attained full self-government, and eventually to make it possible
for them to determine their own form of government.
It is our pride that this policy was faithfully pursued in
the case of the Philippines. The people of the Philippines determined
that they desired political independence, and the Government of the
United States made provision to this effect.
NARA
It is now time, in my opinion, to ascertain from the people
of Puerto Rico their wishes as to the ultimate status which they prefer,
and, within such limits as may be determined by the Congress, to grant
to them the kind of government which they desire.
The present form of government in the Island appears to be
unsatisfactory to a large number of its inhabitants. Different groups
of people in Puerto Rico are advocating various changes in the present
form of government.
These advocated changes include different possibilities:
(1) the right of the Puerto Ricans to elect their own Governor with
a wider measure of local self-government; (2) Statehood for Puerto
Rico; (3) complete independence; and (4) a Dominion form of government.
Each of these propositions is being urged in the Island, and
each has its own advocates. Uncertainty has been created among the
people as to just what the future of Puerto Rico is to be. These
uncertainties should be cleared away at an early date.
To this end, I recommend that the Congress consider each of
the proposals, and that legislation be enacted submitting various
alternatives to the people of Puerto Rico. In that way, the Congress
can ascertain what the people of Puerto Rico themselves most desire for
their political future.
However, in the interest of good faith and comity between the
people of Puerto Rico and those of us who live on the mainland, Congress
should not submit any proposals to the Puerto Ricans which the Congress
is not prepared to enact finally into law. We should be prepared to
carry into effect whatever options are placed before the people of Puerto
Rico, once the Puerto Ricans have expressed their preference.
I hope that this problem can be considered by the Congress at
an early date, and that appropriate legislation be enacted designed to
make definite the future status of Puerto Rico.
HARRY S. TRUMAN
THE WHITE HOUSE,
October 16, 1945.