Evening star., 1939-04-30
BY G. A. LYON,
Associate Editor of The Star.

| A visitor from the mainland OF
America may get his best and truest
concept of that island territory OF
the United States upon his return to
the continental United States. That
is not the absurdity of statement
that it may appear at first glance. 1t
is quite correct.
While in the Islands, whether re-
manning or Oahu, the capital area,
or visiting the other members OF
the group attention is centered upon
the exotic, spectacular, dramatic fea-
lures of the scene, upon the mixture
of races constituting the population,
the beauty of the landscape. Occa-
sionally one may defect his thoughts
from these matters to the status OF
this strangely separated section OF
| America as a member Of the Re-
public. But that thought Is usually
quickly swept aside by the flow Of
current interests prompted by the
mountains, the sea shores, the exotic
foliage, the heterogeneous popula-
tion.
In the course Of previous writing
from Hawaii I have had occasion to
refer to the propriety of always
speaking of the Islands as America"
and of the Hawaiians as "Ame-
ricans." 1t Is not so much matter
of good manners as of correctness.
Whether or not Hawaii is ever raised
to the status of a State, with full
and potent representation in Con-
gress, it will remain an integral,
though physically disconnected, por-
ton of the American realm. And the
Hawaiians are particularly proud OF
that political relationship.
Undoubtedly the withdrawal of
the United States as owner of the
Philippines has somewhat stimulat-
ed the Statehood hopes og the native
Hawaiians-or at least portion OF
them. for not all Hawaiians desire
statehood. But, as have stated in q
previous article, there is really very
little expectation on the part OF
many Observation-Disclosures of native
or Oriental or partial American orr
gin-that the Islands will ever be
constituted as a State, with full vot-
ing membership in the Congress o1
the United States.
Stronghold Against East.
Mention has heretofore been made
In the course of these articles of the
fact that Haraii is stronghold OF
security against attack from the
East-which relatively is the West
from the Hawaiian viewpoint. 1t il
idle to attempt any concealment ol
the fact that this is the prime con.
sideration of American possession
Whether this defensive factor is a!
effective as military sartegists believe
and declare must remain for the tes
Of actual conflict, which of course
it is hoped will never be applied.
AS regards this factor of the ma.
tional defense Importance of Hawai-
1t may be stated that there is or
the islands the largest concentration
Of American rtoops anywhere under
the flag There is at all times {
considerable naval contingent, with
its base at Pearl Harbor. which il
without peer as concentration
point and serving station. And tn,
geographical situation makes tn
little archipelago an ideal point o
military and naval utility in the
it is to be hoped-improbable bu
still possible case of aggression b,
foreign power.
The dubiety regarding statehoo,
for Hawaii which is felt by most O
the Americans not of Hawaiian ori
gin who are now making the island
their home is in no wise reflectiv
of any doubt whatever as to tn
loyalty of the people, whether Q
native or alien stock. 1t is takel
for granted that those Hawaiian
, Americans, who are of Asiatic origir
would in any emergency be stoutl
d true to their present allegiance II
n such situation. Nevertheless tn
fact remains that the greatest per
3 centage of the population is com
e posed of people whose race root
= are identical with the only Asiati
o power that can conceivably-a
present-be regarded as a possibl
aggressor. And that is somethin
that time alone can eradicate.
There is nothing incongruous il
, the present political relationship @