The request is made that Porto Rico be constituted as a 'free State' and not 'a mere subjected colony.'

I desire to acknowledge the concurrent resolution of the Legislature of Porto Rico committed to Colonel Lindbergh on his visit to San Juan

The people of Porto Rico are citizens of the United States, with all the rights and privileges of other citizens of the United States

There is no disposition in America, and certainly not on my part, to discourage any reasonable aspiration of the people of Porto Rico

The great satisfaction in Porto Rico at the passage of this act is the best evidence of its liberality

The Department of Health and the Department of Education of Porto Rico are combining to make of the Porto Ricans of the future a different type physically and mentally from those we found in Porto Rico

It would not be difficult to show that the present status of Porto Rico is far more liberal than any status of its entire history

The Porto Rican Government at present exercises a greater degree of sovereignty over its own internal affairs than does the Government of any State or Territory of the United States

It is hereby ordered, under authority contained in Section 5 of the Act of February 8, 1887 (24 Stat. 388), that the trust period on the following allotments made to Indians on the Oakland Reservation in Oklahoma, which trust expires June…

I suppose this shipment of gold is for that purpose.

It is no different than any other commercial transaction, so far as I know.

Trading has been going on constantly between Russia and the United States.

That makes necessary setting up some method for payment.

I haven't very much information about the shipping of Russian gold to the United States.

I assume that is for the purpose of making payment on goods that have been purchased here.

Goods have been bought here and payment made for them, and our people have bought goods in considerable amounts in Russia.

It would not indicate anything new in the relationship, simply a continuation of what has been going on for a number of years.

Of course, according to my best judgment, there should be added to the sums I have already mentioned $65,000,000 that has been put into the tax bill, which is in excess of what I believe tax reduction ought to include.

There is always danger that the Congress will be too liberal in the matter of appropriations.

It doubled the appropriation that I proposed for the Shipping Board and I think added $6,000,000 or $8,000,000 to the Army bill, and it is true that if it goes on at that rate there won't be any surplus with which to meet tax reduction.

No, I have given you the wrong number.

But I think if it is understood that this is a plan toward which the Navy is to work in the future as funds become available, and that so far as the cruisers are concerned it is to quite a large extent a matter of replacement, that a good…

I have understood that there was something of a propaganda under way against any Navy building program.

I am not, of course, an expert at all on what is the type of ship that we need most, but I am advised by the Navy that it is in the matter of cruisers that we are most deficient.

There are some letters being received here at my office against the building program and some communications are being received in favor of it.