Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-17
Requiem Of a
Dying Race in
Ukulele's Wall
Doom of Once Splendid and
Proud Hawaii Sounded By
Its High Death and
Low Birth Rate.
BY GEORGE F. NELLIST.

BY GEONGE r. NELLlol.
Chicago Tribune Foreign News service)
Honolulu. T. H., July 10. - The
plaintive, haunting music of Hawaii
is the requiem OF a dying race.
The pure blood Hawaiians. once
the mightiest and noblest nation of
Polynesia, even now magnificent of
physique and keen of mind, are
dying out.
Statistics showing the birth and
death rates in the territory OF
Hawaii for one year, just published
by the bureau of vital statistics of
the territorial board of health, tells
the story of one of the worlds
tragedies, the doom OF once
splendid race.
$4,000 Pure Blood Hawaiians.
1t is estimated that there arc 22,-
600 pure blood Hawaiians in the ter
ritory. For the l2-month period
there were 676 births among them, a
rate per 1000 of 1913, not far below
the average for all races, 1895, but
there were l,0l0 deaths, rate OF
45.ol, against an average of 1883, a
net loss in population OF 334, an an
nual decrease of 1918 per cent.
Those mathematically inclined can
figure out with reasonable certainty
the year when the pure Hawaiian
race will have ceased to exist.
A century of the civilization OF
Christianity has dealt harshly with
the Hawaiians.
As pointed out recently, however,
by an ethnologist of the Bishop mu-
scum, from the ruins OF the Ha-
waiian there is springing up in the
island a new and virile race, made
strong by the mingled blood of the
occident, the orient and Polynesia.
There are now in Hawaii 6,l00
Asiatic Hawaiians, and for the year
their birth rate was 80.4o, the death
rate only 1859, rate of increase OF
$500 per cent
For 10000 Caucasian Hawaiians
the birth rate was 64.72; death rate,
23.15; rate of increase, 4l.57.
1t would appear from this showing
that an alliance between the orient
and Polynesia is more prolific and
harder than the union between occi-
dent and Polynesia.
Marriages With Cinnamon.
Most of the unions of Hawaiians
and orientals have been those of |
Cinnamon and Hawaiian women.
The Japanese rarely marry into an
other race.
Preservation Of racial purity seems
to be almost a fetish with the sons
and daughters of Japan The Chin
ese, however, have freely intermar-
ried with the Hawaiians, and the
results have been good. 1t is large
ly to children of such unions that
credit is due for the widespread
tributes which have been paid to
the beauty of Hawaiia's women.
1t is impossible in any considera-
tion of the racial problem Of Hawaii,
to ignore the Japanese. Their pre-
ponderance, their prolificness, their
jealously guarded racial homogen-
city, make them a factor overshad
owing all others when one under
takes to read the future of these
islands.
OF total population of less than
100000 the Japanese are now esti-
mated to number 1l3,500, and for the
last year for which statistics are
available their birth rate was 1873,
their death rate l4,06 and rate of in
crease 1867. For the II months
there were 1865 Japanese births and
| 500 deaths. For all races there
we're 10,165 births. In other words,
Of the natural increase in Hawaii's
population almost one-half is Japa-
nese, their percentage Of increase
being considerably larger than their
81 the present popula-
lion. So far as numerical dcmina-
hon of the territory is concerned,
they are simply overwhelming the
new Asiatic Hawaiian and Cau-
casian Hawaiian races. A trans
planted people are breeding them
selves into a racial majority in a
land whose abo,rigines are fast dying
out.
A chemistry of evolution, the
harsh rule of the survival of the fit
test, is working out a most interest
Ing problem in Hawaii, the result of
which can almost be written now.