Evening star., 1939-01-06
Huwaii's Entertainment
Diversions and Attractions Abundant
In Pacific Garden Archipelago

: This is the fifth of a series OF
/ letters from HaUaii from G.. A.
! Lyon, associate editor of The
/ Star, Uho is spending ,Dinter
! Ddcation in the islands.
/ Some time visitors to Hawaii
I am told, are genuinely surprised
TO find that its diversions, attrac-
Itions and means of entertainment
are so abundant. They have been
-deluded by the maps of the islands
most familiar to them-which us
ually present them merely as tiny
section of the vast Pacific area
into the notion that the islands
are very small and that there is not
space enough in them for any eX-
stensive natural "landscaping.
1 Just to be statistical on this point
for the moment, I may state that
the total distance from Niihau, the
extreme western edge of the group,
to the southeastern rim of Hawaii,
"the big island" as they are prone
to call it here in Oahu, is 400 miles.
This is almost exactly the distance
between Washington and Boston,
or between Washington and Toledo,
to measure in another direction.
The land area of the islands, big and
little, is 6,435 square miles, which
is little more than one-half of
Maryland and about one-fortieth of
Texas.
But to lump all of the islands of
the group together in this manner
Is somewhat deceptive regarding the
largest unit, that which bears the
name generally given to the archi-
pelago. For the island of Hawaii is,
in comparison with the others, a
small continent. Indeed, it is so de-
scribed in some or the literature
issued by the Hawaii Tourist Bureau,
an active and enterprising organiza-
ton devoted to the advancement of
the islands as an objective of travel
entertainment. 1t is almost twice
as large as all of the other islands
put together, having an area OF
4015 square miles, a large percentage
Of which is comprised of old lava
flows.
Flowers Mean Much.
Living as they do, about 1000 miles
from the nearest homeland, with
nothing between but the Pacific
Ocean, Amer -Hawaiians-to coin a
term in the interest of brevity, al
though it would not be good form
to use it in general conversation
here-are always glad to greet folks
from the East. The uninstructed
newcomer is prone to call it the
States" when in consideration OF
Hawaiian feelings he should say
mainland" Well. whether from the
mainland or from the States, or
from home" the newcomer, mali
hini to the Hawaiian, is heartily well
coined. On board shipsas soon as it
has been moored fast at Honolulu
or even before mooring, when greet
ing parties go out to meet the liner
he is almost smothered with leis,
even total strangers hanging fra
grant wreaths about his neck out
of sheer gladness of heart upon
seeing another brother" or sister"
American and hearing familiar ac-
cents. Indeed. large part of Homo
lulans constitute themselves as
reception committee for every ship
from the California coast, making
1t their pleasurable duty to assemble
on the pier and. if possible, to go
aboard to extend the hand of fel-
lowship and to make the traditional
floral tribute.
The male milihini is apt to feel
Just bit foolish with these floral
gewgaws tickling his ears and dan
Cling down over his coat. But he
finds that his greeters, of both sexes,
are wearing them and he soon rec
ognizes lei-giving as national GUS
tom. A little bit later he will realize
that flowers mean much to these
island people and many a man. who,
back on the mainland would shrink
from wearing even a tiny flower in
the lapel of hic oat, will soon after
arrival find himself stepping into
a florists shop of King street and
buying lei of 'pikake" blossoms
and wearing it as token of feeling
and being quite at home.
But the hospitality of the Homo
lulans-and of the Hiloans when
one goes down to the big island"
to have look at the works of Pele-
does not stop with the hanging of
leis. There are various other ways
OF entertaining the newcomers.
Short of volcanoes, Oahu has every
thing to be found in the Hawaiian