Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-08-11
Hawai- Strike Only First Round
In Bridqes' Battle With Big Five

| and Honolulu without a life pre-
server.
Bridges own solution is equall
simple: Let the employers giv'
him what he wants.
At one time the employers nigh
have been willing to do that, tt
get peace. But they found thai
the more they give Harry the more
he wants.
Now they would like to 'breal
him before he breaks them.
cts either us or the Big Five,
says Bridges.
Its either Bridges or U.s." says
the Big Five.
Neither, of course, says 1t for
the record.
The strike has split these nor
mally peaceful islands into war
ring camps. Ordinarily sensible
people aren't speaking to one
another. The basic issue, which
Is economic rather than political
has been clouded by hysterical
charges and countercharges.
This is because of the nature
of the antagonists. Bridges is
under Indictment for perjury and
conspiracy for allegedly lying
when he said he wasn't a Com
munist.
Two of Bridges lieutenants in
the international Longshoremen's
and Warehousemen's Union are
under similar indictment.
Local leaders Of the uWU, in
GLIDING Jack Hall, its hulking
sour-faced president, and Robert
McElrath, it's glib. highly vocal
publicity man, have also been
called Reds.
Because of the nWU's leader
ship, this strike has been viewed
by some people here as part of
world wide Communist plot tc
strangle American shipping.
There is no known evidence to
support this conclusion.
What Is true Is that If Bridges
is a Communist, which he denies
then a Communist holds supreme
economic power over the lives OF
SAC, 900 residents of Hawaii.
For Bridges controls not only
shipping-Hawaii's lifeline to the
mainland-but also its two largest
industries, sugar and pineapple.
To a very large extent he con.
trolls its third industry, the tourist
business. While Hawaii is regu-
larly served by the airlines, most
visitors seem to prefer passage by
ship, at least one way.
Apart from its political over.
tones, the strike has introduced
the racial issue.
Despite its well-known reputa'
ton as a melting pot, Hawaii Is b!
no means free of prejudice
|Orientals are not admitted II
membership in the better clubs
They are not welcomed in upper
class island society. They find
difficult to get ahead In business
But there is probably less racia
prejudice in Hawaii than an
other part Of the United States.
Antistrike sentiment has bee
famed by the fact that a majorit
of the strikers are Filipinos an
lnoncitizens. But what is ofte
Overlooked is that these sam
|Filipinos-S,000 all told-were i'm
ported into Hawaii in 1916 by tn
big Five to meet labor shortag
on the plantations.
Facing Bridges and his polyglo
crew Of Filipinos, japanese. nativ
Hawaiians and other races ar
the Big Five companies.
They are the economic an
social aristocrats Of the island!
They are the Castles and tn
Cookies, the Alexanders and tn
Baldwins, the Robinsons and tn
Richards.
Their forefathers were the earl
settlers. Many are descendant
LOT New England missionaries who
q forgotten cynic once remarked
"came to do good and did well"
They are proud. stubborn. con
scientiouS and paternalistit
Bridges says they are feudalistic.
They believed they knew what wa
best for their employees and, TO
the most part, theirs was a be
nevolent brand Of paternalism.
They resented any outsider tell
ing them how to run their planta
lions and their labor relations
They still do.