Arizona republican., 1898-05-16
HAWAII'S QUEER FLAG.
How the Mixture of American and
 British colors Came About

All histories that are printed of the Hawaiian republic fail to tell of the adoption of the flag of the country The incident bears not a little TO- nance and shows in way the inge- nuity of the natives. The adoption of the emblem dates back about twen- ty-five years, when the country was still a monarchy and King Kameha- meha II was on the throne. The coun- try was continually visited by war ships of the different nations of the world, and the ruler of the Hawaiians had a difficult time to keep his little land from being seized by some for eign power.
 The story is handed down to pos terity. The exact date of the occur renee IS not known, though it was in the year 1873. The king of the "key to ths Pacific" awoke one morning to find French warship anchored safely in the harbor of Honolulu. He be- came alarmed at the prospect of a conquest, and sent at once for his prime minister. He was advised by him to run up flag and show the visitors that the country belonged to some one and was not a mo mans land," to be pillaged at will by the first foreigners that came along The king, needing the advice, cast about for piece of bunting to represent his nation, and fell upon an old British flag. This he had run up to the top of his highest flag pole.
 The bunting had hardly had time to unfurl itself to the breeze when one of the chief advisers of the king came running to him and told him that he would have to take that flag down, as the first thing he knew if he did net an English man-of-war that was expected at the island would arrive. and, the commander finding his nations colors flying over Honolulu, would take possession in the name of the queen. This frightened Ranch ameha, and he started another hunt for a flag. This time the searchers unearthed an American emblem
 Taking the two flags, the ruler had them made into one. The jack in the corner of the English emblem was left, while the stripes of the American flag were added to it. Thus the Hawaiian flag at first had thirteen stripes and jack, the same as the English. The king, when he had disposed of his French visitors, had time to think over the matter It was decided that it would be better to have only eight stripes, representing the eight islands of the nation The extra pieces were cut off, leaving the eight stripes with a white one on top. The jack still carries the St. Georges cross, the St. Andrews cross and the St. Patrick's cross, the same as the English.
 Soon after the adoption of this flag the whites, who had begun to settle on the island, came more and more into power each year, until, as re- suit, the monarchy was finally over thrown and the republic placed on firm basis, with white men at the head Of the government. The natives, who are superstitious, believe the change ln power from the copper-colored peo- pie to the whites is directly due to the fact that the white stripe is directly over the red in the flag. They say that had the red been first the whites would never have gained foothold on tn island sufficient to warrant their taking the reins of government in ; their hands,
 As a result of this superstition the legislature of Hawaii scarcely ever