The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-09-05

Last week I gave out for publica
tion 10 the American press my obser
vations on the Philippine Islands. an'
in this letter will take up the Hawai-
ian Islands. having spent some TIM
there gathering first-hand information
from the citizens. officials. busines
men, and commercial organizations
Travelled over the islands inspecting
sugar and pineapple factories an'
plantations, schools. colleges. militar!
camps. and fortifications.
This new American territory is com
posed of a group of eight inhabited
islands. covering 6.44s square miles o.
4. los. 900 acres. exceeding by 1855 square
miles the States of Connecticut ah'
Rhode Island and the District OF Co
Iumbia. The 1910 census gave the two
States and the District of Columbia
combined population of 1.9Ss.4l5, anc
the Hawaiian Islands. $1,000.
The islands We're annexed by tht
United States as a territory on July Z
1898. during President Mckinley's mrs
term. and after his Democratic prede
cessor. Mr.. Cleveland, had refused Il
accept them and. in fact, exhausted hi:
influence to restore the monarchy. VI
the many wise and beneficial pieces Of
legislation enacted during the admin
istration of the Martyred President
there are two which stand at the head
of the list: the taking over of the
Hawaiian Islands, and the substitution
OF the Dingley protective tariff measure
for the Cleveland-Wilson destructive
law which had paralyzed and destroyed
business prosperity in the United
States in the same manner the Wilson
Underwood tariff law has been doing
since its enactment.
The inha bitants of the islands can
not be compared with the natives OF
the Philippine Islands. as the former
are more highly civilized. more pro-
gressive. and thoroughly in sympathy
with America. In agricultural. edu-
cationaf and business development the
Hawaiian Islands are abreast of any
section in the United States and faI
in the lead of many. and this is espe-
cially true of the enterprising Ameri-
can daily papers published in Homo
lulu.
In 1870 the capital city, Honolulu. had
a population of only 5000. In 1866 it had
Increased to 12.GOO. with adobe and grass
houses. Today it has 5000, with every
modern municipal improvement-gas
electric lights. street railroads. sewers,
waterworks. telephone. telegraph. cable
and wireless systems efficient police and
sale and retail stores, and beautiful
homes; an honest. progressive city gov
eminent, headed by popular and able
mayor, a native Hawaiian, Hon. John
Lane. Its public buildings. churches. ed
ucational institutions. y. NJ. c. A, civil
and social organizations. business cor
porations, public utilities banks, clubs,
hotels. public and private buildings COM
pare favorably with those of any city
of double its size in the United States
or any other country. One of the lead
ing hotels, the Alexander Young. was
recently completed at a cost of $1,000. 900,
all the material coming from the States.
Knoxville, Tenn. furnishing marble to
the value of $4,000. The citizens cannot
he excelled in public spirit. in city and
territorial teamwork, and in true, genu-
inc hopitality.
The representative of the islands in the
American Congress is native of royal
descent, member OF the last reigning
family-the Hon. J. X. Kalanianaola. a
modest. earnest, faithful representative
of the people, enjoying the good will and
friendship of his colleagues in Congress.
The new territorial officials, Gov. l. E.
Pinkham and Hon. w. w. Thayer. are
able. active and industrious officials. and
in their work Of promoting the interest
of the islands have the enthusiastic CO.
operation of two live business organiza-
tons. the Ad Club and the chamber or
commerce of Honolulu.
Delegate Kalanianaola and Mayor
Lane are creditable representatives OF
the native Hawaiians, who, along with
all the rest of their race, led by the
good Queen Liliuokalani. now IS years or
age, long ago became reconciled to being
a part of the great American Republic.
are contented. happy and rejoice AT ana
appreciate the countless blessings the
islands have received since becoming a
part of the United States. Unlike the
noisy politicians of Manila, they are not
clamoring for a restoration of the mon
archy. or so-called independence" They
are wise enough to know when they have
a good thing and how to appreciate IL
However, II goes without saying that
along with the rest of their fellow Ameri-
and Republicans-they
are at a loss to understand the consist
ency Of the Wilson administration In re-
moving Americans from office In the
Philippines and filling the vacancies with
Filipinos. while in the Hawaiian lsiands
the policy is to fill vacancies by going 10
far-off South Carolina for a Honolulu
postmaster, to Mississippi for collector
OF the port. and to Tennessee for Unit
ed States district attorney. The natives
in the Philippines must rule and have
the offices, but the natives and other
Americans in the Hawaiian Islands must
be ignored and officials imported from
the States.
Upon the annexation, the United states
government assumed and has since PAID
the then existing Indebtedness incurred
by the republic of Hawaii which succeed
ed the monarchy. the amount being
IS. "a, 400.
During the past fourteen years the peo-
pie OF the islands have paid into the
Treasury of the United States the toi-
lowing:
Customs receipts--......... Ns.6lo.oS
Internal revenue taxes. L'os.'Ss
Total 81 .s2o.3as
. The total OF postal receipts would ADD
several miliious Of additional dollars. ana
thus prove that uncls Sam made no mis-