The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-11
Making Americans in Hawaii
NY rl,EpEi,1c i. nAst<IN.

ny FREDERIC j. nAsiSIN.
Honolulu.
The United States has docideI to
spend some millions OF dollars III for
trying Hawaii 1t liz equally us neues-
something practical to for.sy tltwnii
with good, sturdy, honest American
The task VI "Atnar!caI-
izing" Hawaii is, one OF the srea;tht
problems which the people Ut .his mid
they should have help rho American
ization OF these Islands Begun ~ l":0
when the first missionaries from .,tw
England landed here. White men bad
come years before and wll!te men we're
ferent type. They were fishers Of
whales rather than fishers of men.
,rhe missionaries soon had control OF
the politics OF the islands the chiefs
and kings inviting missionaries to pc-
come their advisers. When white
nan advises chief OF an inferior race
that advice is generally taken.
For many years there was great
rivalry between the Americans and
British as to which OF their nations ion,
ence. The United States was represent
ed by the missionaries. England BY
business men and others. The strife
was long and bitter, and It Is still
manifest In the scorn which certain
people in Hawaii can put into the
"a .'missionary" In Hawaii before the
days OF annexation was not necessari-
ly to be n preacher OF the gospel A
missionary" might be a gambler. The
ton which insisted upon American SUI
premacy. The bittcrest foe the mis-
Summarizes" had was the missionary
bishop OF the Church of England.
All this has changed since annexation.
but the line which defines the mis-
1t may be mentioned that practically
all OF the territorial officers and n
large majority OF the leading busi-
ness men are "missionaries.' The ex-
ceptions among citizens OF vide intlu-
ence arc more often British or Ger
mans.
wall is already Americanizcd. The task
now IS to bring the Industrial and
social life to the American standard;
Ing majority Of Japanese and Chinese
population makes this task diff
cult one. Tho sacred fetish OF bust
ness interests" Is also in the way. The
of the vast numbers of ORR
entails OF Hawaiian birth who will be
'entitled to vote Is n danger which must
|be faced
The Islands are under the business
rule of King Sugar. Sugar is trop.
zeal product. which requires the ex-
penditure of great labor and that la
Dor must be cheap. It also must be PC
remain in the canehelds at SIS q
month for long time. preferably for
generations. 1t was King Sugar who
brought the Japanese and Chinese to
the Islands and caused their cconomi-
cal Decentralization. King Sugar has
also brought Portuguese and Spanist
laborers who have made good and
whose children are good American cit
liens.
The policy Of the American party is
to encourage the immigration to Ha-
wall OF American farmers who VIII
lcitiZcns. to form nucleus for Il middle
class to stand between great kins
sugar and the mI-scrvile laborers OF
the cane fields. Small farming Is
the hobby OF many of the best men In
the territory. But it must be admit
ted that conditions are such as to make
this task extremely difficult Hawa,1
has good homestead lands. and II Of
lfers opportunity for making money tc
| the hard working farmer. But tropi-
! those which obtain in the great agri-
cultural districts of the United states
and 1t Is this difference that breeds
difficulties.
| King sugar IL not III sympathy VIII
the small farmer movement. Some Of
the planters, 1t is true, are leaders ~
the cause. but the great majority throw
cold water and say 1t is impossible
/ They do not like to look forward tc
a time when there will be host OF
citizen farmers to oppose the plans Of
1.-THE few great planters who TIL the
ground with thousands OF contract la
borers.
the japanese have already driver
from the islands the white artisan
| class. It is almost pathetic to he'd
1.-THE drift OF the talk in Honolulu abou
some things. When the news came
that 1t was practically certain thai
Congress would appropriate money t
Improve Pearl Harbor there naturally
was rejoicing But 1t is to be doubted
lif Americans generally could guess
the burden OF the sclf-congratulatorS
speeches. 1t was that the Pearl lIar'
hor work would bring two or three
Thousand Americans to Honolulu to all
/ n-o"Americanizing" the territory.
| Thinking men in Honolulu rejoice he
cause the United States is at las
awaken to the value Of Hawaii ~
a military outpost. Not because TIN
IIawalians are bloodthirsty imperial
| American troops eff they put bil
cause they hope 1t will mean gar
Irison OF two or three regiments o
American troops. 'If they put bis
body OF troops here 1t will mean tina