Puerto Rico Deal

Last April when President Roosevelt appointed Robert Hayes Gore to be Governor of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican politicos did their best to find out who he was. Unlike their then Governor ,Republican James Rumsey Beverley, he had never lived in Puerto Rico. Unlike young Theodore Roosevelt who had preceded Governor Beverley, he had no great name. All they could discover was that he came from Florida, had nine children. They were pleased with the nine children because that meant that he could sympathize with the Puerto Rican love of big families. They were also pleased to find that he was Catholic--the first Catholic governor in the 35 years of U. S. occupation. There their information stopped. What they did not realize was that Governor Gore, prominent Florida Democrat publisher of newspapers in Fort Lauderdale, Deland, and Daytona Beach had thumped loudly for Roosevelt, was now picking his political plum. Last week Governor Gore flew to Puerto Rico to take up his duties and announce a New Deal. As his airplane approached San Juan, he seized a microphone, broadcast a plea to Puerto Ricans for cooperation. Despite a downpour of rain there was a crowd waiting to welcome him, escort him to the ancient fort which is the Governor's mansion. His first public act was to attend mass in the cathedral. To Puerto Ricans this was an auspicious start. Then he repaired to the capitol for his inaugural address. Unlike Governor Theodore Roosevelt he learned no Spanish, gave his speech in English. Chief points of the Gore New Deal were: 1) legalization of cockfighting to encourage tourist trade. This the natives cheered. 2) Opposition to birth control: "I believe that the great God will, in His own plans and His own way, control the population of the world."* This was a sharp reversal of the policy of ex-Governor Beverley who insisted that Puerto Rico's chief problem was overpopulation, advocated birth control as the best solution. But Puerto Ricans remained indifferent, did not cheer Governor Gore's announcement. 3) A suggestion (as coming from President Roosevelt) that the corporations and large landowners might legally be compelled to release a part of their holdings to the farmers for the planting of food crops. This last sensational item of its New Deal threw Puerto Rico into a dither of excitement.

--Most notable means by which Providence aids Puerto Rico's overpopulation problem: hurricanes.

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