Evening star., 1934-07-01
HAWAII, THE ARTIFICIAL EDEN
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

cihc explorations. touched there about
the time the American Revolutionary
War was starting. This was O be-
ginning OF contact with the white race
which, in a century, through intro
duction Of Caucasian diseases and
vices, brought the native population
down to 10000. But a native chief,
the great Kamehameha, called the
Garibaldi of the islands, learned
things from the whites which enabled
him to consolidate the archipelago
into one kingdom and raise its status
in the world even though there was a
loss in the Eden-like peace and ease
which had gone before.
1t was in 1919 that the real eco
nomic history Of the island began
with the arrival Of the ship Thad-
deus, out Of Boston, with a cargo of
missionaries, Bibles, tracts and faith.
They were of New England stock, be-
lieving In two things strongly-thrift
and education. These missionaries set
about the education of the people and,
in a generation or less, achieved the
almost miraculous figure of 80 per
cent literacy-a higher figure than
obtained over the continental United
States with the exception, possibly,
of New England. 1t was this educa-
tional start which has made the
islands notable for the high order Of
education which has since subsisted.
Enthusiastic Americans.
The missionaries introduced the SCI
entific methods of growing the rich
products of the islands and, to this
day. the great ducal families of the
islands are descended from the Cruz
sading missionaries Of more than a
century ago.
Their need for cheap labor resulted
in the polyglot population which now
characterizes the archipelago. Their
first importations were of Chinese
coolies. These came in such num-
bers that. in spite Of subsequent ex.
clusion. there are still 27,0oo of them
and. on small plots of their own. they
cultivate rice paddles with water buf-
falos, imported from Asia, as work
animals. The next large-scale labor
importation was of Portuguese. About
10000 of them were brought in at
wage of $40 a month and board
and today there are more than $4,000
of them. The next wave was from
Japan and these predominant. There
are $4,000 Of them now, but Jap
anese exclusion stopped a greater in
flow, the Filipino being turned to as
cheap worker. The islands have
65 900 Fllipinos.
Practically all Of these-members OF
these various peoples-are of a second
generation and now American citi-
sens by virtue Of the annexation which
made the islands Americans Yet, Of
all polyglot places Hawaii has, prob
ably. the least race prejudice. 1t is
almost completely absent, achieving
another claim to being unique. There
are only some $4,000 full-blood native
Polynesians left and these are among
the smartest. They have a fair for
politics and occupy the principal po-
litical posts. Japanese and Chinese
also hold public Office to a large ex-
tent.
Americans may easily forget that
Hawaii was kingdom to which the
United States sent a diplomatic rep
resentative, Minister, and which had
diplomatic relations with other ma
tions. Also, that, for short while,
it was an independent republic. Un-
like so much of American territory,
Hawaii was not acquired by conquest,
but by voluntary annexation.