Salt Lake Telegram | 1936-05-02 | Page 6 | Brass Tacks

1 Brass Tacks Tacks' 2 P. P pUERTO RICAN politicos were as surprised l- l JL and pained no doubt as Americans were v- v taken unawares by Senator Tydings' Tydings bill proposing proposing proposing propos- propos ing the independence nce of the island What it amounts to is deni demand deMind nd a for lor a showdown a some somewhat what irritated Uncle Sam calling what he has j fair lair reason to believe is a simon pure bluff by a ax J handful of x political malcontents who want to appear appear as saviors to their compatriots or or o t maybe are doing a lot lotof of talking for the pleasure of hearing the themselves selves ff The surprise and pain are out of cf all are all pr proportion p r- r 1 tion bon to the amount of noise the Puerto Ricans y have have kave been making about independence of late a. a One would have thought that the islanders JK unanimously u were groaning under the iron heel t. r of oz a pitiless despotism But how now that the road f t to independence js is beginning to open they are arc protesting that it itis is a low Yankee trick Politics o in in Pue Puerto to Rico seems to be quite as messy as in the United States I if not a little more so The dusky politicos have agitated for independence ence ence in impassioned voices assuring their constituents constituents con con- that hat if the despotic Americans would only get out the millennium would surely dawn dan Senator Tydings proposes propos to take them at their word His bill would provide for a general e election ion in which all aU could say once arid and for lor all whether they want vant to go their own way If they vo voted ed for ind independence e the United S States at s I would withdraw after four years After a brief tr transition period they would become as free as any people on earth If they voted against in independence independence independence in- in dependence the issue would be buried for keeps Senator Tydings' Tydings plan is highly sensible If the people of Puerto Rico want out let let them out by all means If they dont don't let them stop b blamIng blam blam- aming am- am ing ingall all their woes on U Uncle ci Sam and get downto down to the business of facing realities es As a matter of fact it is quite possible that as independence actually comes in sight flight it will wilI lose its fine glitter Uncle Sam has b been en pouring pouring pouring pour pour- ing relief money into the island at the rate of ot a month He also has provided a 26 reconstruction program Furthermore the American market is chiefly what keeps Puerto Rico alive The rhe native office seeker may make political capital out of American merican re repression repression repression re- re so long as independence dence i is only a a adis distant distant dis dis- dis- dis tant taut dream When he gets a chance t to make the dream come true he may start dart singing a different song