7. To secure the basic objective of mutual convenience that the plan pursues, we suggest that the agreement should provide a special organism or board, vested with appropriate power, representing the democratic will of the people of both countries in the community. Such board would suggest and recommend the necessary and inevitable adjustments, mutually convenient, to the basic original covenant. It would be also empowered to decide those complementary determinations to be issued thereunder as the changing situations in the economy of both countries may require. The recommendations and decisions of this "community board" would be invariably inspired upon the principle of reciprocity and mutual convenience as well as upon the aim of perfectioning the interchange of goods and services so as to increase the volume and value thereof to a degree as high as the mutual convenience shall demand. Modifications to the basic agreement would be recommended by the Board or by any of the two governments, but would always need, for their effectiveness, the ratification by the legislative body of each of the two nations and, as regards Puerto Rico, by the people of Puerto Rico as well.

Final words: If the economic relations between the United States and Puerto Rico were provided for with this or any similar instrumentation, the development of our national production would unavoidably increase the purchasing power of our people and thus the perspective of increasing the sales of the United States in the Puerto Rican market would be automatically favored. What objection may a Puerto Rican have to buy more from the United States if that capacity is to be based in the reality that Puerto Rico can produce and sell more to the United States?

This plan, we sincerely hold, would work only as a fair proposition for Puerto Rico, as a means of furthering the external trade of the United States, and above all, as an uncontestable evidence for Latin America that the United States, on entering into an agreement of this sort with a small nation as Puerto Rico, was beginning to behave honestly in a nonimperialistic attitude. At this hour of history, when by the Treaty of Rome, effective January 1959, many countries of Africa that until recently were colonies of France and Belgium have been recognized as free members of the European Economic Community (Common Market) with economic rights similar to those herein suggested, what less could the U.S. Government do to make real justice to Puerto Rico?

RAFAEL SOLTERO PERALTA, Professor of Law, University of Puerto Rico.

SAN JUAN, P.R., December 3, 1959. Mr. O'BRIEN. This concludes the hearings to be conducted in San Juan.

We are, as you know, going out to other places in Puerto Rico before we end our work in Puerto Rico.

May I personally express my gratitude to the people who have attended these hearings. There has been applause, there has been expressions of approval and disapproval, but in no instance can I recall did I have to fracture my arm to get order after those expressions. I think that you have been a wonderful audience, considering the dynamite concealed in some of the subjects discussed here.

I would like to make it clear before we leave this very wonderful city that we did come here with open minds. Perhaps some of our questions indicated that we did not have open minds, but I should like to repeat that it is a strategy, almost, of a congressional committee to make a provocative statement in the hope of producing a provocative answer. And I think we have succeeded.

Your witnesses, whether consciously or not, have prepared for us an extremely valuable pattern. We have a picture today that we did not have when we arrived.

Some of you may feel that there was overemphasis of the other side as against yours. But the real test will come when we sit down in Washington and consider this legislation which is before us. You have my word for it that the statements made here today by all the

witnesses will get far beyond the confines of San Juan and that they will echo in the minds of these members as we consider this legislation.

Actually what you have done is enabled us to have on this bill a complete and full public hearing, which we could not have had if we had limited it to Washington because only a handful of you could have come. Sometimes these prepared statements in Washington lose their weight. Here they were made on your home ground and in the presence of people who agree and disagree with you. So the echo of that also will be in our ears as we consider this legislation.

I hope for one thing, and one thing only: whatever the ultimate decision of Congress and this committee may be, will you please believe that it is not motivated by politics or the interests of one man or any group of men, that we will do, even if we are wrong, what we think is right. Thank you [applause].

(At this point, a petition was presented to the committee by a representative of the Communist Party of Puerto Rico.)

Mr. O'BRIEN. Mr. Aspinall?

Mr. ASPINALL. Mr. Chairman, I think the chairman of the subcommittee has stated very clearly and distinctly the position of the members of the committee.

I wish to advise those of you who are present-and I think that you should tell your associates as well-what lies ahead as far as this legislation is concerned.

We not only have the hearings to which Mr. O'Brien has referred ahead of us, but we shall also continue hearings on the bill whenever the time is available in Washington, D.C.

We have had here present today and the last few days seven members of the committee, eight including the Resident Commissioner. We hope that we shall have one or two more as we continue our hearings in the other parts of the island.

When we return to Washington, this subcommittee which is headed by Mr. O'Brien, will have 22 members who will be requested and, of necessity, have to go over the record which is being written, and participate in additional hearings.

When the subcommittee has finished its hearings, there will be 31 members of the full committee, which I chairman, who will also have to go over the record written by the subcommittee and will at that time make the final determination upon the bill that will be approved or disapproved.

If approved, the bill will then have to go to the Rules Committee, which is headed by the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Howard Smith. And that is a difficult committee, and it is composed of 12 of the ranking Members of the House of Representatives. Then if they see fit to grant a resolution providing for debate, the bill finally gets to the floor of the House where 437 Members of the House will first make its decision.

Now, in the meantime, perhaps the Senate of the United States will work its will on the Murray bill. If it works its will, then their bill will come over to us. If we work our will first, then our bill will go over to them. In any event, there will be differences between the two Houses of Congress, and it must go to the final committee, the conference committee between the two bodies.

After the conference committee has worked its will, then the bill will go back to the House and then to the other House, and if approved, finally will go to the President of the United States. If the President approves, then it becomes a law. If he disapproves, it comes back to us on the question of overriding or sustaining the veto.

Why is it that I tell you this? Because on a matter as important as those questions which have been raised by you folks-and I may add my commendation to that of our subcommittee chairman-you have been a very fine audience all the way through, and we know how difficult it has been for you to restrain at times, you should know what lies ahead. We appreciate the fact you have followed the wishes of the chairman of the committee.

I tell you this because of the long road ahead, and those of you who expect a quick decision from Congress perhaps are going to be disappointed. But in a matter as important as this, we write the final bill on the record that is made.

I am telling you this because I desire that you do not get impatient. This is one of the most important matters of legislation that the people of Puerto Rico will ever have as far as the Congress of the United States is concerned. If what some of you have said is true, the bill will have to be amended. If what others have said is true, maybe there will not have to be so many amendments. If it is controversial in some respects and it is necessary to take it piecemeal, the Congress of the United States reserves the right to do that.

I suggest to you that this is no longer the bill of Dr. Fernós, this is the bill of Congress, and we shall work our way.

Dr. Fernós, as I understand his position-and I would have acted as he has if I had been in his place has been requested by those to whom he must look for a statement of desire by the people of Puerto Rico and he has introduced the measure. He has changed it from time to time. He may change it some more. We may change it whether he likes it or not. You cannot tell what Congress will do.

But remember this-what the chairman of the subcommittee said is absolutely right-we shall do our best to work for the good of the people of Puerto Rico as sincerely as we possibly can [applause].

Mr. O'BRIEN. With that statement, the hearings at San Juan are adjourned.

(Whereupon, at 4:30 p.m., the committee adjourned, to reconvene at 1 p.m., Monday, December 7, in Ponce, P.R.)

PUERTO RICO-1959

MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1959

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SPECIAL SUBCOMMITTEE ON TERRITORIAL AND

INSULAR AFFAIRS OF THE COMMITTEE ON
INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS,

Ponce, P.R.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 1: 15 p.m., in the Catholic University Auditorium, Hon. Leo W. O'Brien, chairman of the subcommittee, presiding.

Mr. O'BRIEN. The committee will be in order.

I might explain at the outset we are sorry we are just a little late. We got here as rapidly as we could. I think you understand better than I do the difficulty of getting here from San Juan. You do not go as fast as you might have hoped to. Some members of the committee have not quite finished their lunch and they will come along later, but we want to get on with the hearings as rapidly as possible.

It is a great pleasure to see so many of you here today. May I say, as I said in San Juan, that while you cannot always restrain your natural reactions to statements made with which you agree, we would wish there be no demonstration or prolonged applause.

From time to time you may note we will take a 30-second recess. Under the rules of the House of Representatives, we are not allowed to permit picture taking during sessions of a committee of Congress. On the other hand, we understand the problems of the photographers. So when witnesses take the chair, we usually call a 30-second recess so the photographers may work their will. But do not be misled by that 30 seconds. It really means that. So, if you plan to slip out for a smoke, you probably will not have time to finish it.

I think that covers the amenities and, because of the very extensive program we have this afternoon, we will proceed with the matters to be disposed of.

It is my great pleasure to present at this time the honorable acting of Ponce, Mrs. Helvetia Nicole, for a welcoming statement.

mayor

STATEMENT OF HON. HELVETIA NICOLE, ACTING MAYOR OF

PONCE, P.R.

Mrs. NICOLE. Honorable Chairman of the committee, Mr. Leo O'Brien, Honorable Congressmen, Hon. Dr. Fernós-Isern, Resident Commissioner, distinguished guests and friends; because this is not a formal gathering but inasmuch as it is the first moment of your visit to us, I wish to use this occasion to give you a warm and friend

ly welcome in the name of the municipality of Ponce and the people of Ponce.

We shall try to make an informal speech. In the course of the 2 days you are going to stay with us, we do hope that a good relationship will be established and that you will become acquainted with us in such a way that it might become possible to accomplish not only a more thorough understanding between your Government and ours, not only between your people and our people, but also that our relations will develop in such a way that we, you and us, become the greatest example for the rest of the countries of our world that have been observing us.

Welcome to Ponce and please make yourselves at home.
Thank you.

Mr. O'BRIEN. Thank you.

We will next hear at this time from the Reverend Father Thomas A. Stanley, rector of the Catholic University. [Applause.]

Father STANLEY. Thank you.

Mr. O'BRIEN. We will have a short recess.

(Short recess.)

Mr. O'BRIEN. Father, you are very welcome before the committee. You may proceed.

STATEMENT OF REV. THOMAS A. STANLEY, RECTOR, CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY, PONCE, P.R.

Father STANLEY. It is a great pleasure to welcome the members of the House Committee on Interior and Isular Affairs to our university. We ask you consider all of the facilities of this university at your disposal so you may conduct these important hearings with all the facility and ease possible that we can present to you.

We consider it a good honor to have you with us and to be the site of these hearings, for we realize they are very important and very urgent.

How important they are was very recently impressed upon me, and very greatly, in two trips, one to South America and one to Florida.

The trip to South America was to attend the Congress of all the Latin American universities, and I was impressed at the interest of those professors and students of those universities in Puerto Rico, and in its status and in its future.

I was surprised at other things as well. I realized that I was the only representative of Puerto Rico there and the only man who had a rightful right to be a full-fledged member of those Latin American organizations as well as the North American organization. Any other American there was an outsider because he was not the head of a Latin American university as I was. And any Latin American president going to the United States would be an outsider, but the presidents of the Puerto Rican universities have a foot in both conferences, they are full-fledged representatives of North America and Latin America because of the unique position that Puerto Rico holds.

In each of the cities that I visited in South America, surprisingly, I was entertained by a Puerto Rican, and a rather well-to-do Puerto Rican, because of their facility in both languages and knowledge of