 The national broadcasting company and its affiliated stations present the Pacific Story. In the midst of the fury of the world conflict, events in the Pacific are taking on even greater importance. Here is the story of the Pacific and its peoples whose destiny is at stake in the Pacific War. Here is the tale of the war in the Pacific and its meaning to us and to the generations to come. The Pacific Story presented by the national broadcasting company and dedicated to a fuller understanding of the vast Pacific basin. This broadcast series comes to you as another public service. The drama of the past and the present of the millions of people who live around the world's greatest sea where the east at last meets the west. Hawaii, melting pot of the Pacific. In the 166 years since Captain Cook discovered the Hawaiian islands, men of all creeds and colors and races have migrated to this melting pot of the Pacific. In 1778 there were 300,000 Hawaiians in the islands. Today there are less than 15,000 pure Hawaiians. Today the islands have a complex race situation with a polyglot population of 425,000, the biggest percentage of which are Japanese. Missionaries, whaling ships, industry, commerce, brought this change. In 1820 the English and French advisors to the Hawaiian king, Leho Leho, were concerned about the arrival of a ship with a company of missionaries. But you can see, King Leho Leho, that these people have come from America not to help your people but to try to change them. That's quite right, Your Highness. All they have done is ask for permission to live here in the islands and carry on their work. Ah, their work, yes. But they are meddlers. They brought their credentials as missionaries. Oh, they are missionaries, all right, Your Highness. But what need do you or your people have of missionaries? They were courteous and thoughtful when they were here three days ago. They even brought gifts. Yes, but if I may be permitted an observation, King Leho Leho, if they came here merely for missionary purposes, why did they bring such a complete organization? To ministers and a doctor and a few others. Reverend Bingham and Reverend Thurston, yes, and Dr. Oldman, the physician and two school masters and a printer and a farmer. And they brought three Hawaiian youths back with them to help them in their work here. Now, these youths attended the foreign mission school in America and now these missionaries plan to use them for... Then they have brought quite a company with them. Indeed. As your advisors, we must point out that it is not to the prophet of your majesty that these missionaries have come here. Your Highness, King Leho Leho. Yes? The leaders of the missionary group are here. Do you wish us to go, Your Highness? No, you may remain. Bring them in. Yes, Your Highness. We know the nature of these missionaries well, Your Highness. And it is our wish that you best save future difficulties with them. This can be easily accomplished by sending them back to America. Your Highness, the Reverend Hiram Bingham and Reverend Asia Thurston. Reverend Bingham? Reverend Thurston. We have come, Your Highness, for your word. My advisors have just been discussing your company with me. We are, of course, eager to start our work as the first mission in the Hawaiian Islands. Yes. Your ship is in the harbor Kailua. Yes, Your Highness, and all our company is still aboard. We ask permission to land. Reverend Bingham, we've considered your request quite thoroughly. Why did you bring such a large company? Seventeen. We shall have need of every one of them. Dr. Holman, our physician, Elijah Loomis, the printer, Samuel Whitney. You need all these millies to convert the people of King Leho Leho to your religion. We have come here to help them as well as teach them. You may land. Thank you, King Leho Leho. You have our greatest gratitude, Your Highness. Could we also establish a station at Honolulu? At Honolulu? Why do you need two stations, Reverend Bingham? Why, we will then be able to... Two stations will be better than one. Yes. You may have them. This is the beginning of a great effort. In 1920, and the first missionaries had come to this crossroads of the Pacific. The trail had been broken. And in the next 35 years, more and more missionary companies came. Ministers, teachers, doctors, printers, farmers. They learned the Hawaiian language, wrote in it, began printing textbooks, publishing newspapers. But for years, the missionaries were to face the opposition of the whites and were to survive only by perseverance. The Hawaiian islands had begun to change. And now, another factor hastened its change. Whaling. New whaling grounds were discovered off the coast of Japan. Within a few years, the ports of Honolulu and Lahaina were crowded with square rigged sailing ships. Ah, this place has changed since the last time I was ashore here, Captain Cogslaw. Yes, from being a place hardly known, it's become a center of commerce. Look at that. A ship's chandelier. Yes, you can buy just about everything here that you can buy a new bedfoot, Mr. Martin. This place is busier than new bedfoot. Yes, I should say so. Look at this tree. Look at the traders. They come from everywhere. Yes. And look at the new stores. And warehouses. We'll have no trouble getting suppliers here. But we need captains, deckheads. And we can get them. These Hawaiians are the equal of any seaman you ever had. I've heard that said, yes. You'll find Hawaiian seaman in Sag Harbor, Nantucket, New London, everywhere. They're all over the world. There must be as many ships bringing supplies into the islands here as taking them out. They're all. Oh, here we are, Mr. Martin. Here's the place. Supply house? Yes. Come on in. Man, look at this place. What can I do for you? Well, Captain Cogslaw. Well, how are you, Martin? Fine. Fine. I'm glad to see you back. This is my mate, Mr. Martin. Hello, sir. Mr. Martin. Well, it looks like you've built up quite a business for yourself here, Martin. Yeah, I can't take care of it. The whaling fleet is made, Honolulu. Why, the fleets are getting bigger every year. Yes. Now with the new whaling grounds discovered off Siberia and those in the Arctic Ocean and burying straight. You made out all right this time, did you? Yes. We came around the horn from New Bedford last spring. Spent the summer on the whaling grounds around Alaska. Made a big haul. Taking your oil and whale bones back to New Bedford now, huh? No. No, not this time. No, we've sent our oil and bone back in a merchant vessel. No. We're going to refit and repair right here in the islands and go back up north to the grounds. Good. Many of you are doing that now. They tell me that 85% of all the whaling ships in the world are operating right out here in the island. Mm-hmm. Well, a great thing for you businessmen handling supplies here. Can't complain. Can't complain. Tell me, what can I do for you? You got that list there, Mr. Martin? Yeah, sir. Right here, Captain. See, we got to get some rope, cables, tar, rosin, some canvas for sales into pollens, flour, rice. Oh, let's see. We need some sugar, potatoes, coffee, beans. Well, we can take care of this. Now, let's see. Let's start with the cables and rope. The harbors of the port of Hawaii were a forest of masts and yards. Vessels bringing merchandise to the islands. Other vessels buying it before starting on long voyages. The whaling industry brought commerce to the Hawaiian islands, but likewise it brought ills. It changed the population. It spread disease. Boosted the death rate. Reduced the birth rate. It took away thousands more Hawaiians who were destined never to return. It brought in thousands of persons of other races. For 40 years, the whaling industry thrived out of Hawaii. Then, with the outbreak of the Civil War in the United States, it suffered a vital blow. It's a fair win, sir. Yeah, I'll be glad to get back to Bedford. Well, you haven't seen your wife for two seasons, have you, Mr. Griffin? No, sir, I haven't, Captain. Well, that's why you were anxious to get out of Hawaii, was it? Yes, sir. Well, you're coming back from probably your last whaling cruise out here. You mean because of the war that's broken out in the States? Well, than that, Mr. Griffin. Nearly all the whalers have been withdrawn from the Pacific because of the war. But the big reason is they've struck oil. What do you mean, sir? They're getting it out of the ground. It comes up like water out of a well. Oil out of the ground? Yes, yes, barrels of it, hundreds of barrels, thousands. Well, I heard them talking about it in Honolulu, but I didn't think... Mr. Griffin, I have an idea that our whaling days are over. The whaling industry had come to Hawaii and had gone. It left its mark, but meantime, another industry had come. And this one had come to stay. This one was to cause radical changes in the population. This was the sugar industry. In 1835, an American firm leased a tract of land at Kaloa, Kaui. This event was to signalize changes. How would it be if in your land that the chiefs would need a rent and no sell land for sugar-raising? Well, it finally leased at this tract of 50 acres. Think you can sell your sugar, lad? California ought to be a good market. What about the competition from the Philippine sugar and the sugar tariff? We are a great deal closer to California than the Philippines. You still have the tariff? Yes, but look at this. There's the tract down below there. Hmm. Native? Pulling your plows? Well, there are no draft animals, and those plows are only makeshifts. You can't make out this way, lad. Well, I'm paying these laborers 12 and a half cents a day and furnishing them with food. 12 and a half cents a day. What does the food cost? We feed them fish and poi, one cent a day for each man. Well, paying these people for their work is an incentive to thrift. An enterprise. I'm in favor of it. Now, if your mill doesn't cost you more... This was the start in 1835. This was the industry which, more than anything else, was to change the population of Hawaii. At first, the mills were run by animal power. Then by water power. The first sugar produced was so poor that it could scarcely be used. Not until 1842 was even sugar of fair quality produced. But to produce sugar, labor is needed. And labor was scarce. Yeah, what did you find out, Watkins? Well, the greatest factor, Mr. Lad, is that the native population is shrinking. What's happening to the Hawaiians? There were plenty of them when we started in business 17 years ago. Well, even at that time, sir, there weren't as many as there had been. That's right, Mr. Lad. Well, what's happening to them? That's what I want to know, Hardy. Well, some of them are dying. Many of them are intermarrying. Some of them are going away. Yeah, what does your report say there, Watkins? Well, so far as I've been able to determine, there were 300,000 Hawaiians here in 1778. Yes, yes, but that's 74 years ago. I just wanted to show you what's been happening. Yeah, yeah. In 1823, there were only 142,000. Less than half, you see, Mr. Lad. Yeah, go on, Watkins. Well, in 1832, there were 130,000 Hawaiians, and now there are only 70,000. Only 70,000 Hawaiians left? That's all, sir. Well, then I say bring in laborers. From where, sir? Anywhere, anywhere, but bring them in. We can't run our sugar plantations without help. Hardy, I want you to take charge of this matter. The rich lands of the islands were henceforth to be worked not by Hawaiians alone, but by laborers brought in from many parts of the world. Hawaii was to become a melting part of the races. 200 Chinese from Hong Kong were brought in in the first contingent. Months later, another hundred brought in. These would have been followed by thousands, tens of thousands more. The Hawaiians were becoming a minority. Their ranks were reduced still more in 1853 by a deadly scourge with swept through the islands. There's another in this house. Stop the horses. Whoa, whoa there, whoa. All right, let's go in and get him. Yes. Take the other end of the litter. We'll come to my house next. How many are dead at your place? One. My little boy. Yes. We've got to pick up two here first. Mother and her little girl. Man, it's in there with them. We'll get yours next. Come on, Harley. We're not going to have room from anymore on the wagon. The death wagon. The yellow-covered death wagon. They came in in such overwhelming numbers that the Hawaiian government suddenly became aware. Well, here it is. The protest from the Japanese government. What they say. Well, in effect, they say that we have no right to refuse admission to the Japanese. Thousands Japanese that we refuse to admit to Hawaii are able to meet the requirements of law. The Japanese government considers that merely a smokescreen to keep out the Japanese. If the rate they're coming in, we'll have nothing but Japanese. That's why we have an immigration law. They're demanding indemnity from the Hawaiian government. Indemnity for protecting ourselves if it isn't already too late. Well, this much is certain. A great many Japanese are coming into Hawaii in violation of our immigration restrictions. They point out that we're discriminating against them. There's a great deal of difference between the psychology of the Japanese and the other immigrants. The Chinese come in here to earn a living, to fit in with the other people here, to intermarry and to make some money if they can. But the Japanese come in here with the idea of taking advantage of everything possible. They're ambitious and aggressive. And instead of trying to fit in, they tend to keep their race pure. They stay to themselves. They don't intermarry, but instead they get their wives by the picture bride system from Japan. The Japanese are now the largest group in the island. Unless we halt this influx, Hawaii stands well to become one day a Japanese colony. We must remember, gentlemen, that we are alone. And that Japan is strong. It is my considerate opinion that Hawaii should seek annexation to the United States. And that we should... Now again, the matter of annexation of Hawaii to the United States came up. The United States had declined the appeal of Hawaii for annexation in the 50s. And again in 1893. But now, in 1897, once more, it became an issue in the Congress of the United States. At the very time Japan was protesting the immigration issue in Hawaii, the Japanese lodged another protest against American annexation of Hawaii. And in Washington, D.C., Japan protests to the proposed annexation of Hawaii on two grounds. First, that the proposed annexation would change the existing condition of affairs in the Pacific. And might thereby cause international difficulty. Mr. Minister... Yes, please. What international difficulty does your government see? Gentlemen, the state of Baran, in the Pacific, is very delicate. And nothing should be done to disturb it. And the second ground for protest of the Japanese government is that the annexation might interfere with the rights of Japanese citizens in Hawaii. You are aware, Mr. Minister, of the discussions that are now going on in Hawaii relative to immigration of Japanese? Yes, we are informed. That is another reason for our protest. Mr. Minister, Japan made no protest when annexation was considered four years ago in 1893. No, no. There was no need at that time. But since then, the situation in the Pacific has changed. Now, if you would excuse me, please, gentlemen. Goodbye, Mr. Minister. He's right. The situation has changed in the Pacific. Since 1893, Japan has defeated China. We might as well face it. Japan is now the most powerful nation in Asia. More than that, Senator. Japan has emerged as a world power. That being the case, it might be distinctly to the advantage of the United States to accept the annexation of Hawaii because... In spite of the importance of the Hawaiian Islands to the United States, the opponents of the annexation in Congress fought the proposed treaty. It was signed by the Senate in 1897. But the next year, the Spanish-American war broke out. Dewey destroyed the Spanish fleet in the Philippines, took Manila. Now, the value of Hawaii became apparent. And on August 12, 1898... That's the Hawaiian national anthem they're playing. Hawaii Panoi. Yes. This is a day to remember here in Honolulu. I should say. Look. They're lowering the Hawaiian flag. Yes, sir. A transfer of sovereignty to the United States. Yes. And there goes the American flag up to the top of the flagpole. Yeah. This marks a new day for the United States in the Pacific. This is the salute of the shore batteries. Well, a 21-gun salute. Yeah. Yeah, there go the guns on the ships in the harbor. They're saluting, too. Well, Hawaii is now a part of the United States. I have an idea. This is going to be one of the most important dates in our history. More than ever before, America looked to the west toward the vast Pacific. Now it was the turn of the century. The sugar industry had been going for 65 years and had changed completely the population of the islands. Now another great industry was to rise to make the island still more industrial, to change the island still more. Come on. Get up. Get up. We will be there in a minute now, Mr. Sim. Sort of a plateau in this country here, isn't it? Yes. This is Wahiawa, where the pineapples are grown. Say, that's some of them right out there, huh? Yes. Yes, that is the field. We'll turn right in here to the cannery. Come on. Get up there. Get up. Quite a place. Quite a place they have here. There is the boss right there. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Hello there. Hello. Is this the pineapple plantation? Yep. This is the place. Well, I just came over from the mainland. Heard about your plantation here? Come out and get a story from the paper. That's all. My name's Sim. It's New York World. I heard on the ship that you were actually growing pineapples out here. Yep. That's what we're doing. Got the first crop in cans already. See the cases stacked up over there? Good Lord. That's the first crop? Yep. 1,893 cases. Well, you don't realize it out here, but most of the people in the world have never seen a pineapple. Heh. Don't know what it is. Well, we figure we can grow them here commercially. Instead of growing sugarcane? Oh, you see, we can grow pineapples at a higher elevation. We can grow sugarcane. You mean by that that you can use land where you can't grow cane? That's it. Uh-huh. Pineapples have been growing out here for about 100 years. Back in the whaling days, the ships used to stock up with them. No, we never did much with the idea of raising pineapples for the trade until now. I mean a sort of experimental thing. You irrigate them then, huh? Yes, and we're planting them in places where they never grew before. Well, I don't know anything about pineapples, but one thing's sure, there's a great story here in these pineapples, and I want to get it because I believe that I can. In the 40-odd years since then, Honolulu has built the largest fruit cannery in the world. And while this industry was growing, it was helping to create the Hawaii of today. In the 10 years after annexation, 40,000 more Japanese came to the islands. Then, by law, assisted immigration was prohibited. The Hawaiian industries, with their ever-growing need for workers, turned to the Filipinos. In the passing years, the Filipinos were to become the largest racial group in the plantations. Today, the lines between the races are breaking down. My work has kept me over here in the islands for a good many years, gentlemen, studying these races. Now, you see that girl walking there. Yes. What extraction is she, Dr. Welling? She's probably pure Japanese. Pretty much like any average American girl. The whites here in the islands have Americanized more than 15 times their own number. That is the result of it. But haven't the Japanese fairly well-held their racial purity? In a large sense, yes. There are more Japanese in Hawaii than in the other race. I would say 160,000, 38% of the population. And they are progressive and ambitious. What's that young woman over there? She's Chinese, probably with some Hawaiian blood. As far as dressing manners are concerned, she might well be a girl from some Midwest town in the States. You mentioned Hawaiian blood, Dr. Welling. In your research, what have you found out about the number of pure Hawaiians? Well, there are probably now less than 15,000. Are they likely to disappear entirely? Yes, they probably will. Not through death, but through intermarriage. You see, while pure Hawaiians are decreasing, part Hawaiians are increasing. I thought I recognized Hawaiian features and a good many of these people passing here. Yes, all the races have come here to the islands have intermarried with the Hawaiians. We estimate that there's native Hawaiian blood in some 50,000 per person here in the islands today. Well, that's something to be proud of. Well, it's regarded highly. You'll find Hawaiians are part Hawaiians in every walk of life, from laborer to executive. There are some warm, pleasant personalities, and they're particularly well-fitted for work with the public. What is that fellow right there? He's a Chinese-American. You find many of them here. Merchants, jobbers, businessmen, garden cultivators. But not many of them are field workers now. And you see that man? Which one is that, Dr. Welling? The dark fellow there, to the right. Oh, yes. He has Portuguese blood, probably mixed with Korean, probably more Portuguese than Korean. He's really part of the Caucasian group. But as you can see in his case, the racial lines are disappearing. Dr. Welling, how many Caucasians do you estimate that there are in the islands? Well, I'd say something less than 115,000. And there are 160,000 Japanese. That's right. But slowly, these many people who have come here to Hawaii are being melted into one people. But until that time, what of the 160,000 Japanese? Well, that is a problem. And gradually, there will be a fusion of people here, American born and American culture. But different from any other people anywhere. But before the Japanese will be fused with the others, it will take decades, or possibly generations. 124 years have passed since the first missionaries came to Hawaii. With them began the influence of America upon the islands. Commerce and industry have brought people of many races. Today, these peoples, Orientals and Occidentals alike, are blending into a new people influenced in all their life by the handful of enterprising whites who adventure 2,000 miles westward into the sea to found this melting pot of the Pacific. You have been listening to the Pacific story presented by the National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated independent stations as a public service to clarify events in the Pacific and to make understandable the cross currents of life in the Pacific Basin. A reprint of this Pacific story program is available at the cost of 10 cents. Send 10 cents in stamps or coin to University of California Press, Berkeley, California. The Pacific story is written and directed by Arnold Marquess. The original musical score was composed and conducted by Thomas Paluso. Your narrator, Gaine Whitman. This program came to you from Hollywood. This is the National Broadcasting Company. Thank you.