Show PART FORT ra 0 tells natives the they y enjoy same liberty as americans ponce P R april 17 secretary taft and hla his party gov my winthrop anil and the insular officials accompanying them arrived hero hem yesterday attorn boon A banquet in honor of the secretary was given by the city last night the speech of welcome was delivered by augusto gautier Ga president of tho the city council senor gauder complimented gov winthrop on the excellent work done during his tenure of office gov gor winthrop e expressed gratitude for the tho confidence of the people and promised always to to lend hla his aid in matters affecting the island Hor herminto minto DI adlaz a z of the executive council made a long speech in which ho he introduced secretary taft ho ile made a strong plea for citizenship and oppressed the hope that secretary taft would unite with president roosevelt against speaker cannon who when here recently gave the porto means ricans little hope in the matter of citizenship secretory secretary tatt taft then spoke vigorously in reply saying in ILI part again I 1 am urged to make a full and specific declaration regarding the policy of the united states toward the people of porto loo I 1 am only a humble member of president roose belts cabinet whatever I 1 may think or whatever I 1 may do are matters of little importance to the people of this island I 1 can only invoke your you r attention to the fact that president roosevelt has visited porto rico and the island has been visited by mr root the secretary of state and by I 1 mr fr cannon speaker of the house of representatives and an d in some respects the most powerful man in the republic what those visits indicate Is this that the people of the united states have haxe a deep affection for the people of porto rico and feel more kindly toward them and have a greater interest in them than in the people of cuba or the philippines the united states has bas gathered porto rico to her bosom and given her that which means the material progress of the island the benefit of the markets of the united states she has given her the markets and the prosperity she enjoys today she has i given every porto rican the same liberty enjoyed by the people of the united states you say sav you tou have not been given citizenship president roosevelt has recommended chati citizenship be given but there have been congressional difficulties with refert reference nee to this mat ter I 1 am not dealing however with generalities but with the concrete facts I 1 ask what is it that a porto rican does not enjoy that an american enjoys you have every guarantee and security which a a citizen of 0 the united states has under the constitution you tou have the writ of habeas corpus and the trial by jury and when you are in a foreign country the same flag protects you that protects a citizen of the united states therefore while president Roo roosevelt gevelt urges citizenship zen ship he urges urge sit it on the ground of gratifying the sentiment sent ament of the people of that island but when you come to examine the facts of what you ask the question is whether it Is not nominal rather than substantial secretary taft wag was cheered at the close of his remarks secretary taft Is the second secretary of war to visit ponce secretary alger came here eight years ago mr tatt taft and bis his party left today for quay guay amas |