The Puerto Rico Emergency Relief Agency Urges Puerto Ricans to Work Together
Background: In 1934, the newly established Puerto Rico Emergency Relief Agency (PRERA) began to address the economic health of the island and its residents. Formed in response to the Great Depression, the PRERA provided emergency financial relief for residents. More generally, it sought to tackle long-standing problems, including unemployment, malnutrition, agricultural production, and infrastructure. The letter excerpted below was published in La Rehabilitación, a newspaper distributed by the agency, and written by its editor and a novelist who served as an advisor to the publication. Its weekly editions promoted the agency’s activities and aimed to build support for its mission to uplift Puerto Rico and expand opportunities for American businesses.
J Rodriguez B. Director
Luis Pales Matos - Advisor
Publicity Agent P. R. E. R A.
Address: Records Division, Capitol, San Juan, P.R.
Monday, May 7, 1934
Miseria, denota en toda su extensión las manifestaciones de los innumerables problemas sociales que afligen a nuestro pueblo y que necesitan inmediata solución.
La Administración de Auxilio de Emergencia ha venido a aliviar temporalmente los efectos de estos males con miras a fortalecer la moral para la consecución de medidas permanentes. Ahora bien, nada puede conseguirse, ni de nada valdrá el esfuerzo de unos pocos, si no se empeña la voluntad de todos en una labor concertada y precisa que pueda dar al traste con esta situación.
En el estudio necesario para hallar este medio de curación que todos buscamos, no podemos ser indiferentes a la realidad. Es necesario que en vez de ir a los efectos para hacer más pálidas sus huellas, vayamos a las verdaderas fuentes de nuestra vida, y busquemos en ellas, las causas en origen. Esto demanda una aclaración tácita de varios aspectos en la determinación de nuestra futura organización social, que harán posible la desaparición de los males, con miras a la perfección de ese conglomerado.
Saber a qué extremo podemos llegar, en nuestra propia iniciativa, para fomentar la industria, organizar la agricultura, proteger nuestros productos contra la competencia extranjera, orientarnos con relación a nuestra futura organización política, son pocos de los aspectos que necesitan una definitiva determinación. Esto nos daria margen a estudiar entonces la manera en que varios de los problemas, tales como desempleo y exceso de población estarían afectados por las condiciones existentes.
Si ésto se hiciera, podríamos estar seguros de haber principiado una labor constructiva que nos proporcionará la oportunidad del goce de una vida decente y una perdurable prosperidad Nacional.
Translation:
Misery reveals the manifestations of the innumerable social problems that afflict our people and need immediate solutions.
The Emergency Relief Administration has come to temporarily alleviate the effects of these evils and build morale to achieve permanent measures. However, nothing can be achieved, and nothing will be worth the effort of a few, unless everyone is committed to the concerted and precise labor that can put an end to this situation.
In order to find the healing we all seek, we cannot be indifferent to reality. It is necessary that instead of analyzing effects to make them clearer, we go to the true sources of our life, and look in them, for the origins of the causes. This requires clarification of several aspects in the determination of our future social organization, which will make possible the disappearance of evils, with the ultimate goal of perfecting this community.
To understand how far we can go, on our own accord, to promote industry, to organize agricultural production, to protect our goods against foreign competition, to establish our own political organization, are few of the many aspects that need a definite determination. This would give us an opportunity to study how various problems, such as unemployment and overpopulation, may be addressed by the existing conditions.
If this were done, we could be certain that we have started constructive work that will provide us with the opportunity to enjoy a good life and lasting National prosperity.
Source: Editorial, La Rehabilitación (The Reconstruction), May 7, 1934, Library of Congress.