The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1949-12-01
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES
By Hazel Brunnon

made UP Of eight islands with a
total area of 6,435 square miles.
These islands which together
make up the territory of Hawaii
are Hawaii, the largest island
with an area of 4,030 square
miles; Maui, 1913 square miles;
Oahu, on which is located the
port and city of Honolulu, 6O4
square miles; Kauai, 555; Malo-
kai, 260; Lanai, 141; Niihau, II;
Kahoolawe, As. A casual visit
does not afford enough time to
see all of the islands which in this
atomic age are of utmost impor-
lance to every man, woman and
child in the United States.
With the lesson of Pearl Har-
Dor engraved indelibly on our
minds we realize as American
citizens that the Hawaiian Islands
form u Pacific outposts OF de-
tense and must be maintained re-
pardless of cost. The battleship
Arizona still rests in Pearl Har-
Dor and in it is entombed 96C
American men - yes, the war is
still very vivid in the minds OF
the $40, 500 citizens of Hawaii.
At this particular time the peo-
pie in Hawaii are keenly interest
ed in the trial of Harry Bridges
in the United States and leading
citizens here say if Bridges is de-
ported it will have a most bene-
fetal influence in the Islands
where radical labor leaders have
been welding tremendous influ-
ence
Hawaii has been plagued with a
series of strikes which most citi-
zens regard as the direct respon-
sibility of the radical communis-
tic influence. The Communists
seem to have been quite success
full in using their favorite methods
of i~nfiltration here - marrying
into families in the Islands and
becoming apart of the local scene.
Bridges himself appears to have a
great influence on the estimated
$4,000 Fflipinos who work on the
sugar and pineapple plantations
and have no particular loyalty ia
Hawaii or anything else.
A real Hawaiian is almost .
thing Of the past - there being
only 1850 citizens Of pure Ha-
waiian stock left in the Islands
There are TOTO citizens Of part
Hawaiian stock. However, thu
two groups together r not hal
as large as the Caucasian
(whites) who number 180,480 OF
the Japanese who account fol
l76,280 Of the total population IL
all of the Islands. Other races
who combine to make up the res
of the population r Filipino
3,64O; Chinese, 30,530; Puerto
Rican $3.50; Korean, 1920. These
figures are based on the officia
estimated census of 1948 which
gave the Islands a population o.
54O,5OO. The city of Honolulu
alone accounts for 277, 129.
It seems a shame to me that the
Hawaiians, who have contributed
so much beauty to the work.
through their matchless music ant
dancing, are fast losing their ra-
cial integrity through intermar'
riage with other races. The diff
ference between the dancing ane
singing of the real Hawaiians ane
the part-H awaiians is apparen'
even to a novice. / was thrilled
to see the most beautiful hui;
dancing you could ever imagine
at the lovely Nuimafu hotel II
Honolulu - and by two womer
who were at least sixty years o.
age OF more and tipped the scale:
around 200 pounds.
The magic that is Hawaii is APP
parent the moment one steps of
the ship. If the traveller is lucky
enough to have a friend on the
Islands he or she is met and the
lei is placed around the neck with
the traditional greeting of Aloha
which means practically any
thing, as the Hawaiians say,
whether hello or goodbye, good
morning or good night. Aloha
can mean show are your" and II
can mean 81 love you The
greeting is used all the time by
everyone on the Islands - and 1t
is enchanting.
The lei, a necklace made of real
flowers, is used by the Hawaiians
in many ways a young man
sends his sweetheart a lei instead
of a shoulder corsage and at the
Ala Wal Club on Ala Wal Canal,
a club for officers of the United
States Armed Forces, ] saw many
American girls on the dance
floor with leis around their necks
and flowers in their hair. 1t is a
custom patterned after the Is
handlers - for a Hawaiian girl
wears flowers as naturally as we
do lipstick.
When I arrived in Honolulu /