1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Hawaii

HAWAII (see ). In 1920 the pop., exclusive of military and naval forces, was 255,912, an increase of 64,003, or 33.4%, over that of 1910. It was distributed by race as follows: Hawaiian, 23,723; part-Hawaiian, 18,027; Portuguese, 27,002; Porto Rican, 5,602; Spanish, 2,430; other Caucasian, mostly American, 19,708; Japanese, 109,274; Chinese, 23,507; Filipino, 21,031; Korean, 4,950; Negro, 348; all others, 310. The distribution by islands was as follows: Oahu, 123,496; Hawaii, 64,895; Maui, 36,080; Kauai, 29,247; Molokai, 1,784; Niihau, 191; Lanai, 185; Midway, 31; Kahoolawe, 3. The pop. of Honolulu, the capital, was 83,327, an increase of 59.7% over that of 1910. That of the second city in size, Hilo, was 10,431.

History.—During 1910-20 Hawaii grew in importance as the commercial cross-roads of the Pacific, as the military and naval outpost of the Pacific coast of the United States, which has called for an expenditure of vast sums on the great naval station at Pearl Harbor and the numerous forts and military posts on Oahu I., and as the friendly meeting place of East and West. In 1917 there was incorporated in Hawaii as the Pan-Pacific Union what had for some years previously been known as the Hands-around-the-Pacific Club, the objects of which were not only to cultivate further the spirit of interracial brotherhood which had already become a notable feature in Hawaii, but also to foster a similar spirit among all the peoples of the Pacific and promote cooperation among them for their common welfare. In 1920 it inaugurated a series of Pan-Pacific conferences to be held at Honolulu, the first of which was a scientific conference held in Aug. 1920, and the second of which, an educational conference, was set for Aug. 1921. While Hawaii was called on heavily and responded beyond her quota for men and money for the World War, she continued to enjoy great prosperity owing to the demand for her products. In 1909 President Roosevelt, in order to prevent poaching by Japanese feather exploiters, set aside as a bird reservation the chain of small islands extending for 1,200 m. to the N.W. of the larger islands, excepting Midway I., on which there is a cable station. This is the largest and most populous bird colony in the world.

In 1916 Congress reserved as a national park the active

Kilauea and Mauna Loa, on the island of Hawaii, and the great extinct crater, Haleakala, on the island of Maui, with their surrounding regions. The healthy climate and beautiful scenery are attracting tourists in numbers beyond the capacity of steamships to bring them and are making the tourist business one of great importance. In 1920 the centenary of the arrival of the missionaries was celebrated on a grand scale, reviewing a century of what has been called a great history in miniature. The governors of Hawaii between 1907 and 1921 were:—W. F. Frear, 1907-13; L. E. Pinkham, 1913-8; and C. J. McCarthy, 1918.

(W. F. F.)