Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-11
THE PARADISE OF THE PACIFIC"
ny FREDERIC J. nAsKIN

WASHINGTON. u. G., September 10
During the last few months. Hawaii
seems 10 have invaded the United
States. The uku!cic. which was al
most unknown at TINS time last year.
may now be purchased in every music
store from Tallahassee To oshkosh.
from Tombstone to PatChOsuc. and has
at least one dcvotcc in every boarding
house. Alleged Hawaiian melodies.
which are syncopatcd limitations OF the
native folk chants. are sung every
where The musical reviews in New
York are featuring Hawaiian acts, and
there are Hula -hulas To toe seen ia al!
the Caharcts Nearly all OF the maya
zines arc carrying articles about E!aw-
All ANA an Hawaiian play recently
made a record rum.
II is hard TO explain the Sandwich
islands have been there all this time.
but apparently We have just begun
to notice their existence. They are en-
joyinG popularity such as they have
not known since Captain Cook discoV-
cred them. or at least since Mark
Twain rcdiscovcrcd thcm ana SGT the
world alaughing with LiS~fanous lee
turc half It century ago.
Despite the wide advertising which
they have been given recently, how
ever. tn" islands are really almost I'M
known 10 the general public The aver
age citizen is aware that tho Hawaiian
ladies' wear very short skirts made OF
good grade of Kansas hay. and that
they play ukulclcs ana slid> around
in the ocean on Nat boards--and that
Is about all Little known is the won
dc-ful story OF the Hawaiian people
who nave advanced within a century
from barbarism to civilization. who
have lived under Il haTbaric empire, u
constitutions! monarchy, and rcpub-
lie. and have finally become a part Of
the United Statcs--aud meantime have
a GO .,,it In
waiian story has been one Of pathos
\ nature people OF unusual mental and
physical cndowmcnts. they tried to
meet civilization halfway when il
came to their islands: hu, the contact
proved fatal The outside world
brought them wealth and knowledrc
but also disease and vice and alcohol
When Captain Cook discovered the
islands in HIS he estimated that there
were nearly half a million people Nv
ing upon them. Now there are not 10
per cent Of that number OF pure blood
cd lIawaiiaus.
The Hawaii that makes such a good
subject for songs ana stories and plays
The Hawaii that takes such ready hold
Of the popular ina cination. is that Of
over century ago. when first tho
islands were discovered by white mon
The paradise Of the Pacific" at that
time to some extent deserved it's name
The islands had remarkably healthy
"iid oiuabic climate; they were bcauti-
iui as always. and they were devoid
of all large and dangerous beasts:
while sweet potatoes. yams. cocoanuts
and other tropical products could be
raised by moderate labor
As a result of these conditions. life
was easy and safe: tho people were
largely vcGetarians. although thcy had
few pigs and dogs: they had neither
10 hunt nor TO fight natural enemies
The effect Of their large vegetable dict
WAS TO make them even tempered fat
ana easy-g"in". They had To work lust
nard enough To keep them from idle
ness: but not hard enough to make life
burden. They had abundant opnor-
UNITY TO develop their wonderful bar
barrie gift for music and literature. 10
tell their folk tales and sing their
songs. into which they Wovc the voices
of surf and forest. maxim a plaiutivo
and unique sort OF melody that Will
live when all of them are gone
ThcE were q fine. tail people. With
great beauty Of skin and feature al
though their ideals OF feminine beauty
divcrsed somewhat from ours. in that
they considered an enlarged abdomen
AN essential to physical pcrfcctinn
The ruling class were vastly superior
to all of the other people. both physi-
cally and mentally, and this was tho
natural result of centuries of the most
absolute rule i'm the world. The power
of the Hawaiian monarch was absolute.
and her person was the most sacred
thing known to his subjects. lie was
court, legislature ana executive. Incl
dcntally. to walk across the shadow Of
his house punishable by death
and all OF his subjects lay PROSTATE
in his presence. lie owned everything
and levied heavy taxes upon his people.
| If some family had carefully fattcncd
a pig and fragrance OF it's roasting
reached the royal nostrils, il was not
uncommon for the royal chef 10 como
and appropriate the luxury for the
royal chef to come and appropriate the
| luxury for the royal table. \ mem
Der "f the Hawaiian chiefly class is "n
Emperor literally soon MS born.
Stewart tells OF seeing u youn. prince.
| about three years old, StrOlin2 through
| the streets OF Honolulu clad in moth
/ ing but pair of green morocco slip
| perS and followed by u rctinuc Of
| twenty-five servants carrying fans.
| rugs. umbrallas. SDttoons and other
| royal paraphcrnalia
When IL monarch died, there FOL
lowed Il reign of anarchy and crime.
| during which all vices were tolerated.
| This was apparently a celebration to
| Indicate that all power and law re-
| posed I'm the monarch, aud ended with
| his life.
! The royal families lived In rich idle
I ness, and had various anuscmcnts
which wero reserved for them alone.