Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-08-04
.UNCQUTH NIGGLE
MIsCALLED HULA.
IS MADE An ISSUE
Hawaii Promotion Committee
Lodges Protest With San
Diego Exposition

. "a.
Lodging q protest with the San
Diego exposition against q disgusting
hula dance which is declared to mis-.
represent Hawaii grossly, the Hawaii
Promotion Committee signifies that 1t
is prepared TO object to distortions Of
the hula wherever It learns such dis
tortioHs are praetised. ..s.-... =
Secretary A. P. Taylor today sent
the following letter 70 HI. ]. Penfold,
secretary of the San Diego exposition.
Il believe you will agree with me
that II IL fit and proper for me TO
call attention TO q complaint made
By one Of our 0ahuans who recently
returned from the mainland. iRclud-
ing visit 20 the San Diego exposi-
ton, concerning Hawaiian entertain
ment on the 'Isrhmus'
AT the Rotary Club meeting yester.
day Mr.. 8. NJ. Lowrey Of the firm Of
Levers e Cooke, In referring to q re.
cent mainland trip, said that some
thing should again be done by island
ORGANIZATIONS toward stopping So
called hula dancing on the mainland
which gave q very bad impression Of
oar island life. Mr.. Lowrey stated
that ne visited this hula dancing place
ana was Absolutely and thoroughly
disguised with the exhibition, stat
ing that IL was not q hula at all, but
more Of d hooehi eoochi of Chicago
fair Midway fame. He stated that
perhaps his auditors would agree with
him when be said that the hula. when
properly danced, Interpreted old-time
legends and performed in similitlide
on religious rites, was something
which had even. estaetic value.
but, he said, the exhibit on the
1sthmus' was a disgrace and blot
upon the. fair name of our territory.
and he asked the Rotary Club to take
some action with Other organizations
which would tend to eliminate this
feature from the San Diego exposition.
Eliminated - zone
a year ago my attention was
called 20 . similar disgraceful exhibit
OF the so-eailed hula dance on the
zone Of the San Francisco exposition.
immediately took up the matter
with the San Francisco fair officials
and asked that they officially discoun-
tenance and also eliminate this fear
ture from their zone entertainments,
and 1t was done. The manager of the
show WROTE to me saying that hts
show was all right and that many peo-
pie had said they enjoyed It, but our
island people thought otherwise. and
I. also personally thought otherwise,
because, while was agent for the
Promotion Committee on the coast, ]
had occasion, 10 interfere with Ger.
tain so-called vaudeville acts In which
the dancing was also disgrace.
"At the present time we have only
heard from Mr.. Lowrey but presume
II. ] interviewed ether people who
have attended your exposition. the
story would be the same. in San
francisco they had two or three Ha-
waiians, but the majority were white
women, i presume, from South Clark
street. am told that there are some
Hawaiian people In the San Diego
exposition and that. at one time they
we're associated with the San Fran
cisco nula exhibit. If they are the
ones, they know my sentiments very
thoroughly and t.s, attitude Of this
territory. Il IS 5.,,' - q.
Hawaii Day Coming.
I'VE are looking forward to a cele-
bration of Balboa Day and Hawaii
Day ifa November, but certainly
would not care TO continue any ef-
forts for the proposed celebration OF
those days m THIS so-caIled hula ex-
hibit Is also continued 10 have that
exhibit brought into prominence on
hawaii Day and Balboa Day and re-
garded ~ part Of Hawaii would be
something whic,t We coald not. very
we'll stomach.
II am starting q private inyestiga-
ton of this matter and expect to have
Mr.. Lowrey's report verified in every
particular.
"We Enow that II. is delicate mat
ter. for you people to handle, but ! be
IieYe Yoii can see on: own standpoint
very readily"
- "a. -.