"Just What You Expect"

"Just What You Expect"

The star under which Robert Hayes Gore flew down to Puerto Rico last year was an evil one. Fifteen years with small-town Scripps-Howard papers, an excursion into the mail order insurance business, and, finally, the proprietorship of a chain of Florida papers which he opportunely flung on the Roosevelt bandwagon had failed to endow blunt, bald Mr. Gore with the tact and resource required of peppery Puerto Rico's Governor.

A few peons regarded Governor Gore as simpatico because he was a Catholic and had nine children. But when he legalized cockfighting, faint were the huzzahs for putting a legal face on an open practice. His proposals that landed estates be subdivided into small farms, that the legal interest rate be reduced from 12% to 8% infuriated the island's monied classes. The students rebelled when he appointed an unschooled trustee to the University of Puerto Rico's board. The politicos rebelled when he asked appointees for undated resignations in advance. Having fallen into every political pitfall the Legislative opposition set for him, blundering Governor Gore suffered more when his house was twice bombed three months ago. Shortly thereafter he departed Puerto Rico on sick leave. Arriving in Manhattan, the exasperated administrator told ship news reporters: ''That's just what you expect in those countries down there!" Last week just what everyone in Washington had expected occurred. Governor Gore resigned. ''The climate of Puerto Rico," he explained to President Roosevelt, "has not been conducive to my own health or that of members of my family." The President accepted with customary regrets, and within one hour nominated for Governor of Puerto Rico a man who he believed would bear up better under the island's torrid political climate. He was Major General Blanton Winship, U. S. A. retired, of Macon, Ga. General Winship is a rare type, an experienced U. S. colonial official. He entered the Army in '98, wears the ribbons of the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrec tion, the Cuban Pacification, the Mexican Punitive Expedition, the World War. As far back as 1906, General Enoch Crowder recognized General Winship's administrational abilities by making him Acting Secretary of State and Justice of Cuba. He served as Calvin Coolidge's military aide, was sent to the Philippines as adviser to the Governor General in 1928. After that he was made the Army's Judge Advocate General, and he had just returned from Liberia last year, where he was sent to investigate slavery, when he was retired. Puerto Ricans. who have not had a taste of methodical Army administration for 33 years, could look forward to a square deal, but a firm one. This week the Hawes-Cutting Bill, designed to grant the Philippines independ ence within ten years, was to lapse automatically. A year had gone by without the Philippine Legislature's calling for a general vote on the measure. After a talk with President Roosevelt. New Mexico's Senator Cutting declared: "There is no sense in extending the measure. I can't conceive of Congress taking up any new legislation for the islands at this session. I do not think we can give the time and attention to this bill, which was severely criticized throughout the country but which is as good a bill as could be passed. . . ."

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