WARREN R. AUSTIN
VERMONT
United States Senale
WASHINGTON, D. C.
January 10, 1938
Dear Mother, Bob, and Edward.
Marjorie and Ruth and the babies:
We are here again! Time is so much of the essence that I am making
a composite letter, duplicates of which will go to you all.
We left New York on December 23 via S. S. BORINQUEN. There was no
labor strike at our dock, but along the piers men were marching with
the sandwich boards of pickets.
The four days on the ocean were normally pleasant for me, but Mildred
was obliged to remain in bed most of the time, and of our party
Senator Burke and I were practically the only members who kept on their
feet. Occasionally Senator King and Senator Connally came up for air,
but you could not call the trip a fiesta.
We landed at San Juan December 27, where we were entertained by
Governor Blanton Winship at the Palace,- commonly called there "Fortelitia".
We occupied a suite of rooms looking out over a wall onto the Atlantic
between ancient sentry boxes which represent the bellicose days of the
Sixteenth Century. This old palace was built by Ponce de Leon, and is
the most romantic building I have ever been in. The combination of de¬
fense from invasion and the gentle charm of environment is marvelous.
The outlook upon the harbour from it is more beautiful than that of
Hongkong or Naples. Flowers and palms and other tropical trees grow
luxuriantly and decorate that ancient wall as though they belonged to
it. The splash of yellow, white and red against the mossy stone work
and the deep greens of tropical foliage is thrilling to see. Of
course, there are also the purple, pink and copper of the bougainvileas.
Most of the buildings that can be seen from the Palace are painted yel¬
low, or pink, or marine blue, and the background of sky is extraordinarily
brilliant. The temperature is around 75°, and the climate is salubrious,
soft, and invites one to removal of hat and clothes. We think the sun
there the most healing that we have found in our travels anywhere.
A Mrs. Desoso was the Governor's hostess for us, and everything that
an intelligent and kind person could think of was done by her for our
comfort and happiness.
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We are not going to undertake a narrative of the business done there,
but I will say that we commenced within an hour after our arrival, and
on that first day interviewed Governor Winship, Chief Justice Del Torro,
Attorney General Ferdinandez Garcios, and drove out to the home of
Justice Cordova Davilla, who was ill in bed, and interviewed him,
talking with the United States District Judge Cooper,- all on the
first day.
Our meeting place for making our studies was an interesting one, name-
ly: what is presently used for a law library, but was in the Sixteenth
Century used for an arsenal. The very large vaulted room in which we
had our meetings had walls some six feet thick, and others thicker.
Even the supporting pillars in the middle of the room were probably
8 x 10 feet square. A subterranean passage way, with a ramp for cannon,
ran underneath to the ocean, and a secret corridor connected it with
the Palace. It was cool there in spite of the very warm weather out¬
side.
You will be interested to know that the newspapers are all printed
in Spanish (so that we could not read them and know what was being
said about us) save for one column in English which appeared on
December 28 and lambasted Senator King because of an interview
that he gave on our arrival. The commission suffered from it because
the commission was accused of conspiracy with sugar companies to
fulminate independence and get rid of competition. It charged
that our judiciary study was a deceitful cover or pretext for the
purpose of facilitating the hidden purpose. This did not astonish me
because I have formerly experienced the luxuriant extravagance of
tropical newspapers. Before we left, the impression that article
had given was completely dispelled by some very fine things printed
in Spanish. I am sure you would laugh to see some of the cartoons
of us which were published.
During the period December 28 to 31 we held hearings in the day time
with the various Courts of Puerto Rico, the Bar Association, the
Commissioners of the different departments, groups of citizens, political
leaders, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House, civic leagues,
and all others who asked to be heard. This was a large order.
In the evening, we were entertained at various interesting places, one
of which was notable, namely: a large party at the hospital of
Dr. Lopez del Rosa, situated about fifteen miles from San Juan, in
the mountains.
The Puerto Ricans are naturally a friendly, kind, thoughtful, and
generous people. They love to express their Americanism, and the only
thing we lacked was time in which to do all of the lovely things they
wished to have us do.
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Since the American occupation, remarkable progress has been made
with respect of public sanitation and health, public works, such as
highways and docks, development of resources, consisting of sugar,
coffee, cotton, tobacco and citrous fruits, as well as in the struc¬
ture of government, which has become a commonwealth (although called
a territory), with the American form of Statehood, namely: executive,
legislative and judicial departments, separate and co-ordinated, and
having almost as much power as one of our States.
Of course, the Federal Government still retains some measure of
control over local government, through a Governor General, but so much
progress is on the way there that it is our belief that before long
Puerto Rico will be competent for Statehood, and that it will be granted
to her by an amendment of the organic act.
We spent Christmas on the boat, and New Years Eve at the Governor's
Palace until midnight, and after that at a great casino called
Escambrun. On January 1, the Governor took us on a tour of the island.
We had an escort of motor cycle police which sometimes numbered as
many as six. They seemed to appear on our route as if out of the
jungle, and disappear from time to time. But at no time did we have
less than three blowing their sirens and making great importance of
our passage through the country. This is the third time we have
endured this type of suffering on our travels.
The roads are excellent, though narrow and twisting. They must
twist in order to get over the mountains, for Puerto Rico is literally
covered with mountains, some of them four or five thousand feet high.
The vegetation is greener than in Vermont, and everywhere we went
there was plenty of it.
Under the leadership of Governor Winship, beautification of the high-
ways has gone forward to such an extent that for miles the pavement
was lined on both sides with hibiscus, and other flowering shrubs and
plants, as well as with plants having beautifully colored leaves,
such as begonias. From time to time we ran through arches of flamboyant
trees. The sugar cane is in bloom now and in the distance the planta¬
tions appeared to be covered with armies of white plumed knights on the
march.
We visited the Governor's summer place in the high mountains, and from
thence went to Coamo Springs, which are hot sulphur springs. There
we were entertained by the Usera family for dinner, and then went to a
great plantation about twelve miles out of Ponce for a dance out of
doors.
We left the dance about 3:30 A.M., and drove to Juanica, where we stayed
over night. The next morning we inspected a sugar mill there, and then
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drove up into the mountains to see a Captain Heylan, San German, where
we examined a tropical garden; thence we drove to Mayaguez, to the
Federal Experiment Station, Atherton Lee, Director, for dinner and
over night.
This was a pretty tough January 1, and Mildred had to go to bed with
a bowel disturbance and great fatigue.
On January 2, we started with an inspection of the Experiment Station
which lasted until 12; then we drove miles to the hacienda of
Jose Ramon Quinones, Public Service Commissioner, coffee grower,
and lawyer, where we were met by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, a prominent woman Member of the House of Repre¬
sentatives, and other public service people. We heard what they
had to say, received their written petitions, and looked over the
coffee plantation. Here the unique Porto Rican custom of serving
roast pig during the holidays was in vogue. Mildred couldn't eat
the pig, but they roasted a chicken for her.
On leaving there, we went to Ponce, visiting a sugar plant and
rum plants owned by the family of Serralles. Some of the finest
Spanish people of Puerto Rico were there and we were shown that
aspect of Puerto Rican life which has its background in Old Spain.
We were entertained for tea at the beautiful home of Don Pedro
Serralles, and then we embarked again for Coamo Springs, where we
spent the night of January 2.
On the morning of January 3 we set out to go through Ponce again
and up into the hills to visit two Spanish homes, and there talked
with leaders of thought representing a certain phase of Puerto Rican
philosophy, as well as to be entertained by these delightful people.
We first attended a cocktail party at the home of Don Juan Serralles.
The architecture of the house was pure Spanish; much wealth had been
spent on it, and it was furnished with massive mahogany. It is so
high up that the view takes in the Caribbean for miles. Then we
went to Don Manuel Serralles' home for another reception and thence
we took a long drive through the country to Arroyo, where the Govern¬
ment Reconstruction Authority spent four millions to purchase a
sugar business and has spent other millions in various projects.
There we studied the New Deal efforts in Puerto Rico, taking the
evidence of the people of Puerto Rico most sympathetic to it. I re¬
frain from comment at this time.
After a late luncheon, we returned to San Juan by another route,
which took us along the Caribbean Coast and around the west end of
the Island of Puerto Rico. It was wonderful to see, so long as there
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was daylight, but we did not finish our journey until late in the
night.
On January 4 we conferred with P. Menendez Ramo, Commissioner of
Agriculture and Commerce, and the Acting Governor of Puerto Rico
(Governor Winship had left us the day before to return to the
United States for a conference with Mr. Ickes). We attended
the Rotary Club where we were received by a very large number
of members and visitors, and where speeches were exchanged between
the Puerto Ricans and us. That night, Mr. Harry Malina had a
large group of lawyers at his house, and we discussed the Court
problem fully. On myreturn to the Palace I found Mildred quite
ill, and early the next morning I called on the Commissioner of
Health, Dr. Garrido Morales, and the Bacteriologist of the Tropical
Diseases Hospital, Dr. Costa Mandry, for help. They are expert
and started Mildred on the way to recovery, but throughout the 5th,
I gave up all effort to continue with my work and spent the time
ministering to her.
The next day was set for our sailing and various considerations
caused us to decide not to sail, principally the advice of the
physicians that seasickness would be bad for Mildred, but a
very serious situation at the docks, a strike, which involved the
C.I.O. and A. F. of L., had prevented unloading of the Coamo on which
we were booked to return. There was some fear that the strike might
develop into a general strike. In any case, the ship was obliged
to turn about and return to New York with its cargo. Senator Burke
and his wife sailed on her, and we do not know whether they have
arrived in New York or not. We made plans to fly on a Pan-American
clipper to Miami, and thence return by train, cancelling our tickets
on the Coamo.
On the 6th Mildred was better, and I was able to resume conferences
with a group which included Benicio Sanchez, Vice President of the
Bar Association there, Juan B. Soto, Chancellor of the University of
Puerto Rico, a very prominent lawyer by the name of Sifre, and many
others.
On January 7, we embarked on the Pan-American Clipper at San Juan
at about 10.A.M., flew to San Pedro, in the Dominican Republic,
where we alighted for gas; thence over the mountains, over Santo
Domingo and across the lake between the Dominican Republic and
Haiti to Port-au-Prince, where we arrived at 1:25, and where we
saw the Bermuda Clipper flying in the opposite direction on its
way to South America. From Port-au-Prince, we flew to Antilla, Cuba,
arriving at 3:50, and thence we flew to Miami, a three-hour flight
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across the Atlantic.
We had lovely weather, and enjoyed the brilliant and varied
colorings of land and water until we were in sight of Miami.
Darkness then fell, and was ripped from moment to moment with
lightning which we could see over Miami. A great thunder
storm was on, as we learned by radio, and directions from shore
enabled us to fly around the storm and enter the port at Miami
at the most advantageous point. The landing was rough but
perfectly safe, and we taxied for about two miles under the
storm, to the wharf. The rain came down in torrents, the streets
were filled to the top of the curbing with rushing water.
There we had a new experience: We were received by doctors who
had enough thermometers for all the occupants of the plane - about
thirty-six, and they kept us standing in a row with the thermometers
in our mouths, humped up with our wet clothes over our shoulders,
ting for the thermometers to do their work. Passengers from
South America were segregated from the rest of us who were passed
through for inspection by immigration authorities and customs
authorities. I found our arrival was expected, and our passage
through these formalities facilitated. When we got out into the
waiting room there were friends to meet us with a fine limousine,
and we were taken to the home of Calvin Bentley for the night. I
had cabled him from Puerto Rico. He and Mrs. Bentley were away,
but their daughter and her husband received the cable and met us.
In the early morning Calvin and his wife arrived and we were all
up for early breakfast together. We left Miami at one o'clock
and arrived here in Washington the next day at about 1:30. Mildred
gained all the way, and though she is not fully recovered, she is
very much better.
We missed being with you for the holidays, but as you see, we were
having a very interesting time, and if you could read my note book,
you would realize that it was also an extremely busy time.
Thank you for your fine presents which we found waiting for us,
and for your love expressed in so many ways. We are going to
write you more personally and briefly later.
Mother's several letters were a delight to find on our table
as we came in.
Best love.
MILDRED and WARREN.
Mildred & Warren