PEDRO ALBIZU CAMPOS
“THE GREAT MAJORITY OF PUERTO RICO FEELS REPULSION AND REBELLION AGAINST YANKEE COLONIALISM” THUS ALBIZU CAMPOS EXPRESSES HIMSELF IN AN INTERVIEW GRANTED TO THE DOMINICAN PRESS
Lcdo. Pedro Albizu Campos was interviewed by journalist J.B. Lamarche upon his arrival in Santo Domingo. The text of the interview held, which we reproduce today, appeared in one of the last editions of “Listín Diario”.- -“Dr. Albizu Campos is a man of little accessibility, despite his exquisite culture. Little accessible because, a journalist of pure stock, he hates interviews, or, as he calls them, interview factories.” He is reluctant to make statements, which, many times, reproduce, twisting and mystifying, the thinking of the declarant, and which, in other cases, only serve as a pretext for the journalist to put in the mouth of others everything that occurs to him. The illustrious Puerto Rican nationalist knows the craft thoroughly. And, therefore, he evades the occasions that present themselves to express himself by this means. We, who divine his scruples, reassured him, channeling his attention towards suggestive topics, and managed to break his vow of silence.” -What plans, Dr. Albizu Campos, do you bring to Santo Domingo? -“My work must be mainly of organization. I try to unify the Dominican sentiment in favor of the independence of Puerto Rico. I have been able to note that here that sentiment is unanimous. That means that the ground is already fertile. This is already a great advantage. I see in this country one of the most civic nations and one that has the most character in America. That is why I wanted to come to learn in this school.” -How do you propose to develop your propaganda work? -“I will interview the representative elements of all sectors of opinion in the Republic, I will get in touch with them; I will give some conferences, if necessary; but this as a last resort term, because I am resolved to speak as little as possible. It is not my object to deliver beautiful speeches to reap ephemeral applause. I desire something more intense and lasting. I want to leave here, when I leave, a living and permanent organism that is responsible for reproducing the palpitations of Puerto Rican nationalism outside the Homeland, counting, of course, for this, with the cooperation of all the elements of the colony of my country established, which I suppose will lend themselves to it, since it is an inescapable duty.” -What policy, in its general lines, does Puerto Rican nationalism follow? -“Nationalism, after the death of De Diego, has
sworn requests take the voter before a magistrate, Municipal Judge of the Colony, who administers administrative justice, that is to say that he is an instrument of the will of the Governor of the Colony, a Yankee. In this way, when he does not object to the admission of applications -which, as it is a technical document, can be declared null and void by any circumstances-, he gets sick or disappears, obeying the specific instructions of his principal.” -“As you can see, consequently, it is a mockery, a derision, to electoral law such a procedure.” -“Upon the arrival of the 1924 elections, despite the situation created by the Government, with the premeditated purpose that separatists should not appear in the ballot boxes of Puerto Rico, the Nationalist Party, waving the insignia of De Diego, went to the electoral struggle, in the Municipalities already mentioned, with the sole purpose of avoiding the opprobrium and shame that the flag of the Homeland did not appear in the elections of Puerto Rico, which none of the other parties dared to wave during the election period, obeying the mandate of the Government of Washington” –“Recently -continues our interviewee- the situation has been worsened. In 1924 there was among the contending servile sides a fight for public positions, despite their understanding of stifling the nationalist movement. Recently, the Electoral Law has been amended to avoid the reorganization of the Parties, giving them legal “status” that the two conjunctions called Alliance and Republican-Socialist Coalition did not have. Thus, suffrage is violated and the country is led to the need to resort to adequate means to make respect the will of the people, which is separatist, absolutely. -“No one knows -ends Dr. Albizu Campos- how far a people can go when it is harassed, exploited and reviled without measure or quarter. And that people has to be prepared for all the contingencies that honor imposes on it.”
J.B. LAMARCHE
“TO BE HEARD, PUERTO RICO HAS TO POSE A SERIOUS CRISIS TO THE COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION”
“IN WASHINGTON THEY HAVE DISREGARDED THEIR COMMISSIONERS, WHO HAVE LIMITED THEMSELVES TO MAKING ANOTHER GENUFLECTION”
Says Albizu Campos from the columns of the Dominican press.
From our Dominican colleague, “La Opinión”, we take the following interview with the licentiate Albizu Campos: “Pedro Albizu Campos… The Nationalist of Ponce… Independentist ideals… Heroic struggle… Steel wills… Shame… Dignity… Apostleship… When the siren of the “San Lorenzo” greeted the Placer de los Estudios yesterday, in my mind jumped all the words that serve to qualify the civic virtues of the men.
Albizu Campos has not been a ballerina in politics, He hates theatricality. He is a well-prepared intellectual. He does not like provincial exhibitionism. He is a consecrated to the high ideals of the nationality. Pedro Albizu Campos luminous eyes, sad smile, tropical tawny color is a Man. (I beg the linotypist to put his attention on the capital V).
The Vice-President of the Nationalist Party verb fiery red the Director of El Nacionalista de Ponce buffalo leather whip, Mississippian overflow was my friend: is my friend. I am a friend of all men who love the word redemption be they Chinese, Cantonese, Indians of Ghandi or Boricuas involuntarily subjected to the Nordic empire. It was, therefore, easy for me to see and converse with the granitic leader of Puerto Rican nationalism.
The interview had several episodes and different settings Time: 9 a 1 at night. Place: Parque Colón; inside a “guagua”, San Gerónimo; Parque Colón, Restaurante Fausto. Pedro Albizu Campos, born in Ponce on September 12, 1891, graduated from the famous University of Harvard in the courses of Chemical Engineering, Letters and Philosophy, Military Sciences and Law, practices his profession of Lawyer successfully. He knows what he has in hands. His conversation is very pleasant and his answers quick and precise.
In front of the statue of the Great Admiral, after a brief chat: -And what should Puerto Rico do then? -Puerto Rico has to pose a serious crisis to the colonial administration in order to be heard in its demand. Until
now the colonist has made requests for things of little importance. In Washington they have disregarded their commissioners and they have resigned themselves to making another genuflection. A nation like the North American, with enormous national and international problems, does not have time to attend to submissive and servile men. It requires the formation of an organization that encompasses all the people of Puerto Rico and that breaks definitively with the regime of the colony, and requests from the free nations the recognition of our independence in order to achieve the reconcentration of the North American mind on our situation.” In the “guagua”, in front of two enormous ladies who spoke in tone of B flat overacute:
- Is Puerto Rican nationalism making its way into the soul of the people? -“The nationalist ideology dominates the country. No one dares to fight it. The leaders of the old and low politicking cannot attack it openly because if they do so they would lose their influence in the colonial government. The university youth, the new generations that rise up are frankly, sincerely nationalist.” Albizu Campos speaks serenely; but his words are dazzling with warm enthusiasm. We abandon the “tone” of interview and chat about some very pleasant topics: Vasconcelos, young intellectuals from Puerto Rico, Creole love, Russian ideology… The chocolate ice creams of the “Fausto” were last night as pleasant as on Sunday. New measure of interview. It’s 12 at night. -What are, in your opinion, the pragmatic lines that should follow Ibero-Americanism? -“We Ibero-Americans are fully convinced of the necessity of putting into practice the immediate organization of Ibero-Americanism. That ideology that will restore the hegemony world of the Iberian race, requires the constitution of an international organization representative of all the Ibero-American countries that works outside of the constituted governments, stimulating its action or stopping it, according to the supreme conveniences dictated by the purposes that are pursued. It is already time to stop the generalizations on this subject. Once the Iberoamerican federative organization of which we have spoken is established, it is necessary to proceed to the realization without delay of specific ends. “Although Europe intends to exert on Ibero-America economic and cultural influence, and would gladly enter also in political interventions, if the circumstances so permitted, its action does not constitute a danger for us, and rather it is a force to counterbalance the influence of the United States of North America.” “It is necessary to study the North American penetration in the Colombian continent. The North American interventions are military, economic, cultural and even religious. We have to cut them all from the root.” “Iberoamericanism will concentrate its attention on the territories most
affected by that North American imperialism, and will dislodge it from the positions where it feels safest, as in Puerto Rico and in other nations of the Caribbean and Central America. The case of Puerto Rico is a synthesis of the general situation. There is one of our nationalities more defined, of greater population density and a progress and surprising industrial and commercial organization. The United States has established in Puerto Rico an irresponsible regime of Government. The Administration, the courts and the legislation, everything depends on the supreme will of the military man who occupies the position of Supreme Chief of insular affairs in the Department of War of the United States, and who is responsible exclusively to the President of the North American Empire.” “The fact that in Puerto Rico, after twenty-seven years of North American occupation a nationalist movement is consolidated openly hostile to the colonial regime, is an indication of the effect of that occupation. A systematic plan has been developed for dispossession collective, absorbing the Yankee estates the best lands of the country, the Government has given to North American Corporations the franchises that give them exclusivity in the exploitation of all sources of wealth, communications, and finance, and a compulsory Public Instruction system, imposing the instruction of all subjects in the exotic English language, with the perverse purpose of destroying our Hispanic culture.” “Iberoamericanism should concentrate its attention on the concrete case of Puerto Rico, which summarizes the general situation. The North American policy is presented in all its nakedness before this peaceful and defenseless people ruled by the Yankee military boot.” -Do you believe that the omnipotent power of the United States will diminish? -“Until the year 1914, the United States was a debtor nation and still own substantial interests within their borders, English, French and other nationals. The European war produced the defeat of all of Europe and the Yankee financial hegemony. But that North American power that is exercised in the roughest way to paralyze the economic life of competing nations or to submit to exploitation to consumer nations, is necessarily transitory. It will liquidate it the next world war.” My ice cream is melting. I listen attentively to Albizu Campos. -What countries will you visit? -“I will travel through the nations of the Caribbean, Central and South America and if there is time, I will visit the Mother Homeland Spain on this mission, where there are currently organizations of high influence in favor of our cause.” -Do you plan to establish any entity or organization in Santo Domingo, that fights for the independence of Puerto Rico? -“I expect from all Dominicans their noble cooperation to constitute a Dominican national board pro-independence of Puerto Rico. I know that there is not a Dominican who is not willing to cooperate in that lofty purpose.”
“Directors of the numerous Puerto Rican colony in this hospitable country, have indicated to me the convenience of establishing a nationalist board of Puerto Ricans pro-independence of the pained Homeland.” “Nothing more noble, and nothing else could be expected from the patriotic sentiments of my fellow citizens.” One o’clock. Two handshakes. The rickety car of Mateito leads me to my house. I think. I dream. There are dreams that are truly apotheosis…’
ALBIZU CAMPOS WAS SOME HOURS IN PUERTO PRINCIPE, HAITI
THERE HE RELATED WITH THE LEADERS OF HAITIAN NATIONALISM
“We have had the great pleasure of receiving the visit of the Lcdo. Albizu Campos, Vice-President of the Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico and Director of the newspaper “El Nacionalista” that is published in Ponce. “Mr. Campos, delegate of the Puerto Rican people in the Ibero-American Republics and in Europe, comes from Santo Domingo where he has spent some weeks and giving lectures on Yankee imperialism and on the need for the Latin peoples of this hemisphere to unite to put a brake on the ferocious appetites of the Ogre of the North. “In all his lectures he has spoken of Haiti and in favor of the de-occupation of its territory. Here is the thesis that he has developed to interest Dominicans and other Hispanic-American peoples in our cause: “The de-occupation of Haiti is a necessity for all the peoples, Ibero-Americans, because if they do not help the Haitians liberally, spontaneously and without conditions, the Haitian people will have to seek with our enemies the support that we have not been able to offer them nor give them. It is a matter of high politics to win the sympathy of Haiti by means of eloquent manifestations and feelings of friendship and justice that we feel for her.” “He has also spoken of the strategic situation of Haiti in the case in which an action were undertaken against the Spanish peoples of this hemisphere, and above all he has made the Dominicans observe “that they have been granted the privilege of fulfilling a gesture of transcendent chivalry helping Haiti without restriction against the Yankee invaders and making the Dominican Republic a center of continental propaganda in favor of Haiti.” “Since his arrival, Mr. Albizu Campos paid a visit to our friend and collaborator Pierre Paul, who had been recommended by our delegate in Santo Domingo, the tireless and prestigious Enriquillo Henríquez García. After a long exchange of opinions with our collaborator on the situation of the Latin peoples of this hemisphere with respect to the United States of the North and on the need of a policy of “interpenetration” between all these peoples, to
form a united and unique front and an insurmountable league for the moral and humiliating invasions of the Yankees, the distinguished visitor returned aboard the “Habana” on which he travels.
“A quarter of an hour later, Mr. Pierre Paul, accompanied by our Director, to whom Campos had also been recommended, reciprocated his visit, and as the steamer, whose departure had been announced for 10 in the morning, was not to leave our port until noon, Mr. Jolibois and Mr. Pierre Paul insisted that he spend two more hours on land, which he very kindly accepted.
“Mr. Campos, in company of the two nationalist leaders, visited Mr. Victor Cauvin, General Secretary of the Patriotic Union, because the delegated administrator, Mr. Perceval Thoby, was on vacation; to our colleagues of “Le Temps”, of “Nouvelliste” and of “L’Haitien”, to our friend Dantés Bellegarde and to the president and vice-president of the Haitian Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Edouard Estéve and Simón Vieux, respectively. He also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. I.C. Lherisson, president of the “League of Human Rights”, and to Me. Pierre Hudicourt and to Mr. Rouzier, Fr. Gaetjons and Blanchard.
“An honor “champagne” was offered to him in the “Caves de Bordeaux” by the nationalist leaders Jolibois, Cauvin and Pierre Paul, in the name of the Patriotic Union and the “Courrier Haitien”.
“It was noon when the three leaders took the distinguished Puerto Rican aboard and separated from him giving him a fraternal embrace.
“Mr. Campos continues for Cuba, Mexico, Central America, South America, and Europe. He has insistently begged us to transmit this message to the Haitian people.
“Learn Spanish if you want to defeat the Yankee ogre.”
“He will not return to his Homeland, he has told us, until a year has passed, when he has finished in America and in Europe his mission of propaganda in favor of the independence of Puerto Rico. And he promised us to speak of Haiti wherever he has to defend the Puerto Rican cause.
“Mr. Campos takes from Haiti a pleasant impression, prepared to deny all the lies that the unscrupulous American has published and continues to publish every week in Puerto Rico, where he insists on passing off the Haitian as a semi-savage people.
“In the course of his visit to our colleague “L’Haitien”, Mr. Campos was very happy to receive as a gift from Dr. Pressoir a copy of the History of Haiti by Dr. C. Lorsinvil.
“We renew our wishes for a good trip and fruitful work.”
EXTENSIVE DETAILS ON THE ACTIONS OF ALBIZU CAMPOS IN THE SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE LATIN PRESS From our colleague “Heraldo de Cuba” we take the following information regarding the international congress of the Latin press held recently in Havana: “It was not necessary to wait long to reach the conclusion that this VII Congress of the Latin Press has no importance whatsoever, which, being a strong link between the spirituality and the thought of the men who come from the same old racial trunk, is, in short, nothing more than one of so many reasons conducive to the promotion of tourism… The first contact with the realities that prick in the soul of the peoples, was enough to lift the veil behind which beautiful hopes were nourished. “Under the pretext of not addressing political issues (who is capable, colleagues, of defining the scope and value of politics?), it is feared, even to make a concise and definitive statement in favor of the freedom of the press… Let’s go to the chronicle. A REGULATION THAT COMES OUT OF THE NIGHT TO THE MORNING “The day before it had been agreed that none of the previous congresses had formulated either statutes or regulations that govern the permanent functioning of such congresses. In this virtue it was up to put the anti-interventionist motion before the other Ibero-American delegations, which tends to the articulation of those statutes and regulations. The debate proceeds, and it turns out then that M. Waleffe, a true thaumaturge, comes to argue that if there is an earlier regulation. And even reads it! ….. One, two, three, up to eight articles, contained in a manuscript. “A lively discussion arises. Many, although admiring this stupendous Mr. Waleffe who from night to morning has achieved what six previous congresses could not achieve, maintain their doubts about the authenticity of the document. The manuscript has the fresh ink left by the pen of the French journalist on a sleepless night… But how to doubt officially? This would be contrary to courtesy… So, we already know, there is a Constitution!
A MOTION THAT SCANDALIZES THE FRENCH BEFORE BEING READ
“Meanwhile, Pedro Albizu Campos, the tireless fighter for the freedoms of his Homeland: Puerto Rico, had formulated a series of bases -which we insert later- condemning the interventionist policy of the Government of the White House in the internal affairs of various Hispanic-American republics. The motion was already signed by Cuban, Hispanic-American, Belgian, Italian, etc. delegates, but before being read, upon being simply presented to the table, M. le Pétit, delegate of the “Pétit Parisién”, felt offended in the innermost of his soul. His wrath was such that it seemed that he had been outraged in his person himself. We have seen not many days ago to Mr. Hughes, President of an official delegation from North America, endure a true catilinarian of another diplomat Mr. Alvarez, of El Salvador without losing his composure in the least. But the pétit M. le Pétit could not bear that even something that transcended a censure towards the United States should be mentioned… “In the blink of an eye the debate had turned very violent over something that was not under discussion… Albizu Campos defends the right he has to have his motion read. Valdés de la Paz declares, emphatically, that if the Congress is not going to address vital issues for Latinity, it is better that it be dissolved. The French insist on discussing what is not under discussion, making their claims in a way that seems more like a declaration of war. The President Lugo Viña insists on maintaining order, refusing to grant the floor on a matter that is not under discussion. Then about ten or twelve French-speaking delegates, spectacularly, leave the field… “And the President adjourns the session, so that in the afternoon the commissions are constituted.
TEXT OF THE ANTI-INTERVENTIONIST MOTION
“The text of the anti-interventionist resolutions and propositions, signed as we said before by numerous American and European delegates, is as follows: “Number 1. Resolution. The Seventh Congress of the Latin Press protests energetically against the interventions of the United States in the affairs of the Latin American Nations, and encourages the Latin Nations to maintain unalterable the principle of international law that imposes on each State the duty not to intervene in the affairs of another State. “Number 2. Resolution. The Seventh Congress of the Latin Press makes a solemn call to the entire world Press and especially to the Latin Press to maintain a systematic campaign against the occupation of the Republics of Haiti and Nicaragua by military and naval forces of the United States.
“Number 3. – Resolution. – The Latin Press is in solidarity with the legitimate aspirations of the Philippines and Puerto Rico to constitute themselves into free, sovereign and independent Republics, in accordance with the principle and the free determination of nationalities and protests against the military occupation of these nations by forces of the United States. “Number 4. – Proposition. – Newspapers or publications will not have the right to take part in the Congresses of the Latin Press edited in Latin Nations that are actually branches of newspapers or publications of non-Latin nations. “Number 5. – Proposition. The Congress will appoint a commission to formulate a system of exclusive world information for the Latin Press. “Number 6. – Resolution. – No seat will be given in the Congresses of the Latin Press to Latin publications that support anti-Latin propaganda within our nationalities.”
ORGANIZATION OF THE COMMITTEES
“In the afternoon, with spirits calmed down, the work of the Congress was resumed. President Lugo Viña decreed a recess so that the four commissions were organized, which will present opinions on the matters that correspond to them; opinions that will be considered in plenary sessions. “All delegates can be part of these commissions, with the only condition that they register. The procedure is broad and plausible. The delegates were divided into various apartments of the Reporters Association, headquarters of this complicated Babel, and proceeded to the election of the different board of directors of commission. “These were constituted in the following way: First commission. – In charge of promoting the constitution of a Latin Information Agency. “President: Benjamín Cohen; Vice-president: Marius Appelins and Juan A. Dennis; Secretary: Osvaldo Valdés de la Paz; Second Secretary: Paul Odet. “Second commission. – University Exchange. “President: Antonio Iraizoz; Vicepresident: Irene de Vasconcelos and Tomé Reis; Secretary: H. Brunimon. “Third commission – Statutes for professional journalists. “President: M. Bóugeon; Vicepresident: Manuel Bedoya and Félix F. Palavincini; Secretary: Juan Sánchez Azcona. “The fourth commission could not be integrated.
INTERESTING DEBATE IN THE FIRST COMMISSION
“As soon as the first commission was constituted, its President Mr. Cohen reads the following motion, which tends to strengthen the freedom of the press, whose rights legitimately enshrined throughout the world, are, however, violated at every step in almost all latitudes.