Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-05-24

/ who may wish to take him up on any
! thing TO claim the last word. there is
i no object in pointing out any In
| stances. The author is indeed TO be
| thanked for his cCur&~e in speaking
| cut upon one sore subject, where he
! has the backing Of authorities of recog-
! nized eminence This is in regard TO
| the Scourge of the Hawaiian race, and
| the following reference to it will be
| appreciated if the fact, known to many
| survivors of the time, is realized that
a similar declaration less than gen
Grafton ago would have preeipitate1
most violent medical and lay contIo-
versy: "Leprosy is not contagious,
can be contracted only through inocu-
! lation, and takes years to manifest IL
self three facts which prove the non
I sense of the frequent scare headlines
il American newspapers about the as
! ease"
speaking of controversial ground,
unfortunately the author leads off in
contradicting his own sentiments. In
his Introductory chapter he speaks
thus kindly of the Hawaiians: The
lace as a pure race must inevitably
disappear, but it may well be that
! the traces of Hawaiian blood in the
| future inhabitants of the territory
! will add dignity and grace and gen.
| tleness." In the chapter devoted to
The Hawaiian people, however, APP
pears the following reflection: AN
cthnologist, few generations hence,
in attempting to reconstruct from the
predominant characteristics of their
mcngrel descendants a picture of the
ancient Hawaiian race, will make
| them a people despicable and thor
oughly degraded. And those who have
known them in their integrity, like
children faulty and volatile, but like
children eager to be taught and sus-
ceptible to every good influence, will
no longer be rhere to defend them.
| The man who would see the REM
nants OF genial, kindly, affection
ate race must see them now or new
er." He will sure be an ethnolpgist
of the freak genus who will find in
| the qualities of dignity and grace
and gentleness''-which the author
foresees exemplifying '.the traces of
Hawaiian blood in the future in
habitants' that the pro-
gcnitors of such inhabitants were "a
people despicahle and thoroughly de-
graded" And Mr.. Castle might be
hard beset to explain to eugenists
why a people of Integrity people
like children, eager to be taught and
susceptible 10 every good influence
should in the inappreciable tincture
of Hood they will pass on to posterity
during remote generations, afford
proof that they were of earth's vilest
breed.
If there is any other ground in
viting criticism other than praiseful
for the Look, it is an appearance of
too great a disposition to generalize
to the disadvantage of the products OF
civilization here. AS the most note
| worthy instance of this weakness,
there is the almost exclusive con-
domination of our urban architecture
in which he INDUCES. Kawaiahao
church and the central fire station
are seemingly the only buildings
deemed worthy of exception from
general condemnation. There are
several other worthy buildings of
modern character here which he
could have mentioned.
The assurance of accuracy of facts
! in the preface is fairly well justified
in the work Errors in the initials of
! the late Professor Alexander and the
name of the delegate to congress are
exceptions that no doubt will be recti-
| fed in any later edition. There APP
| pears to be mistake in the descrip-
/ lions OF volcanic activity, probably
! due to oversight, where lava flows are
seemingly made to break out below
/ the level of Kilauea. There is a
somewhat amusing slip made in the
/ chapter on Honolulu, where mention
! is made of the old wooden buildings
OF the Royal school. Evidently the
/ author omitted Emma street from
/ his walks on his latest visit to his
native town, for it is about ten years
since the old wooden buildings of the
Royal school gave place to modern
Concrcte edIfice, quite as stately as
! the 'old stone church.
geographically the book leaves
nothing to be desired, only many will
regret its reversion TO antiquated