l bear true faith and allegiance to the same.

"Further, I will faithfully support the Government of the United States,
established by the military authorities in the island of Porto Rico,
will yield obedience to the same and take the obligation freely, without
mental reservation or with the purpose of evasion, so help me God."

On July 31, the commanding general sent a message to the War Department,
the first official one received from Ponce. It read as follows:

"Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.:

"Your telegrams 27th received and answered by letter. Volunteers are
surrendering themselves with arms and ammunition; four-fifths of the
people are overjoyed at the arrival of the army. Two thousand from one
place have volunteered to serve with it. They are bringing in
transportation, beef, cattle and other needed supplies.

"The Custom House has already yielded $14,000.

"As soon as all the troops are disembarked they will be in readiness to
move.

"Please send any national colors that can be spared, to be given to the
different municipalities.

"I request that the question of the tariff rates to be charged in the
parts of Porto Rico occupied by our forces be submitted to the President
for his action, the previously existing tariff remaining meanwhile in
force. As to the government under military occupation, I have already
given instructions based upon the instructions issued by the President
in the case of the Philippine Islands, and similar to those issued at
Santiago de Cuba.

"Miles."

When the soldiers entered Ponce the people sang the "Star-Spangled
Banner" in a mixture of Spanish and English, and every time this tune
was heard the police forced everybody to remove his hat!

"The natives are, upon the whole, exceedingly friendly," says a
correspondent of the New York Sun, "and almost all of them welcome the
American army. The flag is voluntarily displayed from many of the
principal stores. If there are any Spanish flags in the city they are
kept carefully concealed. In the stores American goods are sometimes to
be found, particularly in hardware stores. All fabrics, foods, and
luxuries, however, have been imported from Europe, mostly from Spain.
The Spanish Government forces its colonies to import from home by
levying a heavy discriminating duty upon all goods not Spanish. Prices
are very high, notwithstanding which fact business is brisk.

"The soldiers are good customers and buy all sorts of cu