Evening star., 1935-03-17
HAWAUPRESENTS CLAIM
FOR STATEHOOD in BILL
Importance of Pacific Islands to u. S.
Defense Is Cited by Their Delegate
in Congress.
BY SAMUEL WILDER KING,
DELEGATE In Congress from Hawaii.

OeleEate ia NOnBIeS5 lEUH t1dWdlI.
Y OVELIEST and most romantic
spot under the American flag
in the opinion Of the thousands
- who visit 1t, Hawaii is today
more vital to our country than
at any time since its annexation 81
years ago.
Substantial reasons support this
contention. The United States Gov
ernment, recognizing the islands as
forming the most strategical point in
our Pacific coast defenses and a
likely center for trans-Pacific avia-
ton lines that will soon stretch to
Asia. New Zealand and Australia, is
about to complete at Pearl Harbor an
impregnable naval base with dry
docks, barracks, increased radio sta
tionS, workshops and other necessary
adjuncts. 1t will make Hawaii a
scene of intense activity for years.
Secondly, Hawaii is becoming increaS-
ingly important as an integral part
of the United States, because tourists,
turned back from Europe on account
Of unfavorable exchange, find that in
the islands money has the same pur-
chasing power as on the mainland.
BY thousands of Americans the Ha-
waiian Archipelago, with its vast
stretches of sugar cane and pineappleS,
its varied scenery and temperate eli
mate. Is being "rediSCovered" as de-
lightful playground Finally, there is
the practical consideration that Ha-
waii, instead of being a liability to
the Federal Government, is an asset,
since it contributes more to the Treas
ury than it costs to administer it. In
addition, its tropical produce is in
valuable to our commerce. and in time
of war would provide certain essen
tialS.
For these reasons I, as Delegate in
Congress, representing the 100000
Hawaiians, have deemed it an oppor-
tune time to put forward our claims
to statehood. To this end I have
introduced bill for which am mus
tering support, to raise the status of
Hawaii, now a Territory. to that of a
State. The people Of Hawaii desire
1t; think they deserve it.
Worthy of Vast Sums.
Fortunately, the islands. with their
nearest point little over 1000 miles
from the mainland. are so situated in
the Pacific as to be worthy of the vast
sums which the Federal Government
is soon to expend on them for defenses.
From Hawaii, the big island and
Oahu, the island on which Honolulu
Is located, they stretch for almost
$500 miles northwest toward Asia
With Midway, the cable station,
WAKE. 1,500 miles farther west, and
Guam another cable station, all under
the American flag, they form a series
of stepping stones by which airplanes
in a succession of easy hops may
reach the Asiatic mainland by way of
the Philippines. Most of the little
Islands in the chain are coral atolls
inclosing lagoons; some of the lagoons
would provide splendid landing places
Tor planes, while many of the islands
could be used for stores in time of war.
But it is the Pearl Harbor naval
base and its protecting Notifications
upon which the Government is soon
to spend $26,0O0,00O and later per-
haps many times that much. Naval
strategists regard Pearl Harbor, eight
miles from Honolulu, as the finest
natural naval base in the world. 1t
has an area of 10 square miles. has
a depth of about 40 feet, is reached
through narrow channel and is pro-
tected from the sea by intervening
elevations. It would be difficult for
an enemy to destroy ships anchored
in it.
Bills now before Congress provide
for expenditures of $l5,000000 by the
Navy at Pearl Harbor About S1O,-
100000 is to be used for two floating
dry docks, and there are to be work.
shops, power plants, barracks, cold
storage. an extension of the submarine
base, radio equipment and other ac-
cessories to cost $5,000,000. Navy Off
cials admit that these expenditures are
only preliminary and that eventually
more millions are to be invested in
Americas chief outpost for defense.
Army to Spend s11,OOO, 900.
The Army, a division of which is
stationed here to protect the naval
base, is TO spend $l1,000,000 on the
construction on Oahu of an air base.
The site is within a stones throw of
Pearl Harbor. The plan calls for the
biggest and most efficient air base ever
built.
With world conditions as they are,
the expenditures seem justified. Hawaii
Is a center from which vast areas in
the Pacific can be reached. If circle
is drawn on line 1000 miles from
Honolulu, with that city as the center,
it will be seen that the islands COM
mand a wide radius of activity. The
circle would reach in the north almost
to the Aleutian Islands; would in
clude in the west Wake Island ire
Gently turned over to the jurisdiction
of the Navy; would penetrate in the
southwest the Japanese inundated
Marshall Islands and in the south
would embrace Samoa. wo-thousand-
mile flights by airplanes are now en-
tirely practicable. Hawaii, therefore.
would be at the very heart of trans
Pacific air travel.
1t is because Of the increased i'm
portance of their islands that the peo-
pie of Hawaii are urging that they be
AuIIllICCN W SIdIClIOOu. OuI pcOpIc
have no other political destiny than
to become the forty-ninth State in
the Union. Their claims to that dis
tinction are clear. I shall recite
briefly some of them.
In point of population Hawaii ex-
ceeds in numbers that of almost any
Territory at the time of its admission
to the Union. Her 5000 people COM
pare with the 10000 wyoming had,
and with Nebraska's $4,000, Arkansas
10000, Colorado's 10000. Nevada's
$4,000, Missouri's $4,000, Californias
10000. Montana's $4,000, Idahos
160, 900 and Arizona's 100000. On the
average Hawaii has five times as many
people as these Territories had at the
time of their admission. Even today
Hawaii has more people than has
Nevada, wyoming, Delaware or Yer
mont, and has almost as many as has
Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico or New
Hampshire. The Island of Hawaii, or
the big island" as it is called, is al
most the size of Connecticut. Oahu,
with 100000 population, is about half
- e I'll