Maturity Of Puerto Rico

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

Mr. David Ratner concluded his column, "Brass Tacks," in your November 9 issue with the assertion that "the political maturity of Puerto Rico is now doubtful." On first reading this piece I felt strongly inclined to take issue with him. Further reflection has persuaded me that it would be fruitless to do so. The concept of "political maturity" is rather vague. I do not know how Mr. Ratner himself understands it or what consequence he thinks should follow from it. Therefore I prefer to offer some comments, by way of footnotes to the text of "Island Insurrection," which may convey further information to your readers and help them understand the significance of the recent events on the island.

I must challenge one of your facts. There were no political prisoners in the Insular Penitentiary on October 28 or at any previous date. The government of Puerto Rice has never sentenced anyone to jail for a political crime. As it correctly appears in your column, when Albizu was convicted in 1937 it was by a Federal court. He was sent to a Federal penitentiary at Atlanta from which both he and his companions have since been freed.

Minimizes Nationalist Success

You state that "by nightfall many towns were in rebel hands." By nightfall on Monday there were, to be exact, two towns held by the Nationalists, the mountain villages of Utuado and Jayuya, These they continued to hold for just as long a time as it took the Puerto Rican soldiers of the National Guard to reach them. In the other seven towns (out of some seventy) where terrorist activity was reported it took the form of shooting encounters between groups of Nationalists and policemen. These were over, with few exceptions, by evening on Monday.

Lack of Popular Support

The use of words like "insurrection" and "rebels" is justified only by the lack of more appropriate ones, but your readers must be warned of their inadequacy to convey a truly accurate picture of what took place. They tend to give the impression that there was a large popular movement, when in point of fact the Nationalists failed to attract any popular support whatsoever.

The success of the registration of new voters is very significant, and the registration of the new women voters on Saturday (the men registered on Sunday) especially so. It must be kept in mind that women in a country with a Spanish tradition lead far more sheltered lives than women in the States. That the young ladies should have turned out in larger numbers than ever to register just a few days after the "insurrection" bespeaks confidence that order would prevail (as it did) and a high sense of civic duty. This may be relevant to the issue of political maturity. Carlos Cebollere '49 3L.