Now, let us
examine what one or two competent authorities have to say of Porto Rico,
so far as American enterprise is concerned.

Here is the opinion of a man who has lived in Porto Rico for several
years and who knows of what he is speaking:

"We take Porto Rico, too, at a time when everything favors increased
prosperity. It has not been ravaged and wrecked, like Cuba, by war. Its
foreign trade in 1896, amounting to $36,624,120, was the largest in its
history, the value of the exports then, for the first time in over ten
years, exceeding that of the imports. Of course the main trade has
always been with Spain, but the trade with us stands next, and during
the year in question was over two-thirds of that with Spain. Of late, it
is true, our trade with Porto Rico has been relatively declining, being
far less than it was a quarter of a century ago. During the reciprocity
period of a few years since it increased somewhat, but after that it
fell off again. It is important to note, however, that our exports to
Porto Rico have kept well up of late years, the falling off in total
trade being due to the decline of our imports, so that now the exports
are not far from equal to the imports, instead of being much inferior as
formerly. It is a noteworthy fact that the exchange from both countries
is mostly of products of the soil. That is the case with ninety-nine
hundredths of Porto Rico's exports to us, sugar and molasses comprising
85 per cent., with coffee coming next, and it is also true of over
three-fifths of our exports to Porto Rico, among which breadstuffs and
meat foods are prominent.

"But with Porto Rico fully ours, and the discriminations enforced by
past laws in favor of Spanish trade wiped out, there must be a change in
the currents of her commerce. We shall expect to furnish the chief
markets for her products, and on the other hand to send to the island
more food products than ever, more machinery, textile fabrics, iron and
steel. Her capabilities will be developed, perhaps notably in coffee
cultivation. Her peaceful and industrious people will welcome American
enterprise and capital, American progressive methods, and free
institutions. Indeed one of the most striking events of this year was
the extraordinary enthusiasm with which American troops were greeted all
along the southern shores of the island. It was as if the people could
already forecast the great future in store for them, under American laws
and th