Evening star., 1935-03-17


average of $l,OOo,oO0 annually for ter
ritorial projects.
OF the $l000O0,0Oo she receives for
her produce she spends the major
portion in the States. importing from
the mainland about sol 100000 in
American goods. This is in contrast
to the condition that prevails in for
eign countries that trade with the
United States. Cuba, for example,
sells great quantities of sugar to the
United States, but does not need to
spend the money here. Her people
are fond of European luxuries end
they spend much of their money,
which they obtain from this country,
for European goods.
Situated at the crossroads of the
Pacific, our people are very much
alive as to what is going on in the
world The HawaiianS are progressive
because of their contacts with the
throngs of visitors to their shores.
Our educational facilities compare
With education compulsory, our schools
are open ~ weeks in the year. Our
teachers are adequately paid. the
same scale prevailing for country
teachers as for those in the cities.
1t may interest people on the main-
land to learn that We do not tolerate
any unsightly billboards. 1t is a Gus
tom among our people not to patron
ize any establishment that defaces
the countryside with advertisements.
Perhaps this is because of our in
herent love of scenery. and Hawaii
abounds in graceful sweeps Of cane
fields. pineapple plantations. rice
paddles, precipitous mountains. gar
dens, beaches and lovely landscapes. |
Honolulu, the metropolis of the is
lands. is a modern. progressive city.
1t has a police force that might well
be a model for any city on the main
land. The force is organized on
scientific basis, with an expert at the |
head of it, and is entirely free of poll
tics in the selection Of its personnel. |
Discovered by Cook in 1878.
Although at one time after its dis
covery by Capt. Cook in January, |
1878 Hawaii, with its Polynesian |
population. might easily have fallen |
under the domination of the British, |
the French. or even the Russians.
luckily it came under the sway OF
American influence. For years prior |
| to its annexation it was influenced by |
American missionaries. who intro
duced American educational ideals, |
and by American business men. !
Fundamentally. therefore. We of
Hawaii are Americans.
y,,oIo If ifco1f fraa u;f |
to America, valuable gift from any |
point Of view strategic. economic. cul- |
tural or political.
The American Nation recognized |
this and passed the organic act con-
stituting Hawaii as an organized ter |
ritory, with the same degree of au-
tonomy then enjoyed by several ter
ritories on the mainland that have /
since become States.
BY inference Hawaii could aspire |
to the same destiny. 1t had larger |
degree of home rule than Alaska, in |
1900 as yet an undeveloped country |
1t was properly treated differently |
from the new territory acquired as a
result of the Spanish American War |
All of its citizens under the former |
republic were granted full American |
citizenship.
The former president of the republic |
became the first governor: many |
subordinates who had served under |
the monarchy and the republic con-
tinued to serve under the territory.
The President of the United States. |
with the approval of the Senate, has |
the power of appointment of the
governor, the secretary of the terri |
tory, the justices of the Supreme Court |
and Judges of the Circuit Courts.
The people of Hawaii elect the
Hawaiian Legislature, which func-
tions as any State Legislature does. |
and the governor appoints the ter
ritorial department heads, with the |
approval of the territorial Senate.
People Select Delegate.
The people also elect, as their /
spokesman in Washington, delegate |
to Congress. as other territories for
merly did, and as Alaska still does, |
a delegate who Is member of the
United States House of Representa-
tives with all rights as such except
the right to vote.
AS authorized under the organic
act, the Hawaiian Legislature created
four county governments modelled
after the American plan.
AS the territory consists of eight
inhabited islands, the subdivision into
smaller units is more logical than
might be the case on the mainland,
with adjacent areas arbitrarily cut up |
into separate counties. often without !
regard to geographical or economic |
boundaries
All this was natural, the following |
out of the American procedure in
similar cases, the organization of local
government with minimum OF ma
tional control and interference, and |
Furthermore a recognition of Hawaii's |
long history of self-government.
Texas was annexed into the Union |
as a State; Hawaii was annexed into |
the Union as a Territory and has |
successfully maintained itself in that |
capacity with no more than the |
usual troubles of government.
The value of Hawaii as naval out
post, controlling the North Pacific. |
was realized from earliest times. The |
first naval visitors recognized its stra-
tegic location and urged the United |
States to obtain the exclusive uss-of |
bases in the country.
Several treaties were suggested. |
looking to the cession of Pearl Harbor |
to the United States. The kingdom
In most cases was agreeable to such |
an arrangement. expecting no doubt |
that material advantages would more
than compensate for some small loss
of territory or sovereignty.
U. S. Turned Deaf Ear.
But the United States, still pre-
occupied with developing its own vast |
hinterland, turned deaf ear to any
Pacific outpost and declined to ap-
prove any treaty for such a project.
Other nations were also alive to |
the possibilities of a naval base in |
Hawaii and perhaps Americas in
difference might have thrown Hawaii
into the arms of some other power.
had p0t that indifference hoey7 co,,plod |