Evening star., 1937-11-04
Statehood for Hawaii Is
A PrepOsterOus PROPOSAL

To the Editor of The Star:
At present there is a committee of
Congressman in Honolulu holding hear
ings and investigating the advisability
of admitting the Hawaiian Islands to
statehood. For reasons hereinafter
stated the proposal is too preposterous
for moments consideration.
The population of the islands is
estimated as of 1885 at 384,437, con-
sisting of few white Americans, Portu-
guese, Puerto Ricans, Spaniards, Chi
nese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos and
the native Kanakas. The Japanese
constitute nearly forty per cent of the
total population, 10000 of which are
subjects of Japan.
To give statehood to the islands would
be tantamount to turning them over
to Japan. The Japanese would control
the elections with the result that two
Japanese would sit in the United States
Senate, and probably one in" the House,
with Japanese governor of the islands.
While perhaps 100000 of the Jap
anese are American citizens by reason
of birth in the islands, they are always
Japs because of the doctrine of In
delible Allegiance" insisted upon by the
Japanese government, which these Japs
cannot disavow if they would, and
which they would not if they could.
Statehood is therefore not only ridicu-
lous, but fraught with the gravest dan
ger to our national security. In fact,
the requirements of the situation i'm
peratively demand in the interest of
our national defense that the present
government be abolished, and a COM
mission form of government created
with Army and Navy representation on
the commission.
The controlling reason for our ac-
QUESTION of the islands was that they
are the key to the Pacific and are
indispensable to our national security,
particularly in the defense of our
Western Coast and the Panama Canal.
Unless they are made to serve these
ends there is little justification for our
possession of them.
They are territory of the United
States. and in matters of government
and control are subject entirely to the
jurisdiction OF the Congress. In a
moment of erratic altruism and with
out vision of the future, or realization
of the practical necessities of the situ-
alton, which has characterized all our
ventures in territorial administration,
we unfortunately and mistakenly made
the islands autonomous and self-gov-
erning. We deny the right of suffrage
to the people of the District of Co
lumbia, whose average of character and
intelligence is the highest in the Nation.
and then give serious consideration
to clothing this conglomerate population
with statehood and all the rights Incl
dent thereto. Could anything be more
shocking to our reason and inteli-
gence?
In view of the strategic importance
OF the islands to us, and especially in
view OF the present situation in the
Orient it is manifestly the duty of the
Congress to make the islands really
and truly military and naval OUTPOST
of impregnible strength. and that it
should lose no time in doing so. This
can be done only by putting them under
form OF government such as herein
suggested. If this is not done, the time
will come when they will prove to be
disastrous liability to us instead of
an asset, which could be easily demon
Strated If space permitted.
The writer feels he can speak with
some little authority on this subject.
as he lived five years in the Orient. has
often visited the Hawaiian Islands and
has had some experience in military
matters
ALEXANDER SIDNEY LANIER.