Puerto Rico Urged to Keep Language Debate Off 1991 Ballot
The chairman of a Senate committee urged supporters of Puerto Rican statehood yesterday to say nothing on the island's 1991 ballot about an official language for the proposed state.</br></br>"The question of the official language is meaningless save in an emotional context," said Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D-La.). Putting it on the ballot might focus the debate in Congress on that issue, he added. "Let Puerto Rico be Puerto Rico . . . leave it out altogether."</br></br>Former governor Carlos Romero Barcelo protested that he wants dual official languages-English and Spanish-in his testimony before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over U.S. territories. "We must go home, go to a plebiscite, tell the nation it is not the congressional intention to force the English language on us. This is used by demagogues in Puerto Rico against statehood that . . . laws would be passed requiring the use of English only.</br></br>"I know you want to make sure this bill {calling for a referendum on statehood, independence or an enhanced commonwealth} goes through, but I must think it over, give it much more thought," he said.</br></br>Federal activities, such as district court hearings, are conducted in English, but Spanish is preeminent on the island. About 60 percent of Puerto Ricans do not speak English, according to Gov. Rafael Hernandez Colon, who leads the group urging an enhanced commonwealth status.