) - i c-’ C- / ^ cl — S , M ^ w ^ \ I THE CROSS-ROADS OF THE PACIFIC Rev. Rowland R. Dodge W ailiiku, Maui, T. H. American Missionary Association 287 FOURTH AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY DISTRICT OFFICES: Eastern District 14 Beacon Street Boston, Mass. Western District 19 South La Salle Street Chicago, III, Pacific District 21 Brenham Place San Francisco, Cal. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 https://archive.org/details/crossroadsofpaciOOdodg The Cross-Roads of the Pacific Rev. Rowland B. Dodge \\ ailuku, Maui, T. H. I N the midst of the great waste of Pacific waters, two thousand miles from San h'rancisco, lie the Hawaiian Islands. They are separated from Samoa by twenty-three hundred miles of ocean, from Aukland by thirty-eight hundred miles, and by an additional thousand from Manila and Hong Kong. Here, in the cross-roads of the "lonesome Pacific,’’ nestles this group of eight inhabited and several uninhabited islands. Mere dots they are on the world map. Their total area is only 6,405 square miles. Yet because of their location and re- markable strategic value they play an imj)ortant role in international relations. ■- The Pali In physical history the Hawaiian group forms the summits of enormous volcanic cones, which rise from an ocean depth of eighteen hundred feet. Add to this high lofty mountain of nearly fourteen thousand feet altitude, and the result is that here in the mid-Pacific are to he found the greatest single elevations on the earth’s surface. h'xtending in all nearly four hundred miles in length, these islands lie in a pretty straight line from southeast to northwest. The oldest in time lie to the north ; Hawaii, the largest, lying farthest south, is still in the pro- cess of making through its two active volcanoes. On each of the group re- mains of ancient craters are to be found. On the oldest erosion has done its work in ages past, until to- day only the hardest of the lava re- mains. This takes the form of pinnacles and minarets of fascinating designs. On the five largest islands, thousands of acres of the richest soil have been formed by the action of Lahaina Cocoanuts water upoii decaying lava. This de- posit is often of great depth. Because of their location just within the tro[)ics, the islands are abundantly supplied by the fruits, vegetables and farm products of tropical and semi-tropical countries. A wonder- ful variety of vegetation is to be found. Illimitable stretches of water separate the Hawaiian Islands from the Arctic ice fields of the North and likewise from vast arid stretches of any continent. They are fanned continually by the cooling trade winds. Hence the climate of this ocean group is delightful. It is never hot and never cold. The extreme maximum temperature on record in Honolulu is 89 degrees, the extreme minimum 54 degrees. The mean of last year was 75 degrees. In the mountains, however, severe cold is experienced by the traveller at all times of the year. At an altitude of from three thousand to five thousand feet the climate resembles that of early fall in New England. h'ach island has its wet and dry sides. Between these remarkable differences are to be found. At the town of Lahaina, on the dry side of Maui, for instance, the rainfall was so slight as not to be recorded in the tables of the last annual report for the islands. At Keanae, on the rainy side, 287.41 inches fell, — a record that is one of the high- est in the world. On one side, the mountain above the irrigated cane field will he hare, on the other a tropical jungle and abundant water- falls are to be found. 4 (irass Ilousr. Typical Group I'or the Student of ethnology and history, Hawaii is a fascinating held, d'he native people, incorrectly called hy the American tourist “kanaka" (a generic term and means simply “man" or “mankind”), are in racial characteristics and language undoubtedly Polynesian in origin. Many interesting theories have l>een advanced as to how the l>eople of 1 lawaii found their permanent abiding-place. Tall in stature, finely built, possessing an intelligent face and a good carriage, the I lawaiian makes a striking appearance. Remarkably adaptable to foreign influences, of great natural ability and ingenuity, fond of games and jirond of his nation, the Hawaiian has made for himself a nniijne jilace in history. Unable nn fortunately to withstand the dis- eases and vices of civilization, the pure native has rapidly decreased in numbers until today he is less than 25,000 in all. Captain James Cooke, the discoverer of the islands in 1778, estimated the population as 400,000. This figure is probably too high. In 1841 a rather careful estimate, that of the missionaries, showed a total of U?0,000. It is impossible to speak a single word concerning the history of I lawaii during the last ninety-five years without recording the most remarkable change that has ever come over any one nation. Aside from cannibalism, of which the natives were never guilty, the worst kind of heathenism existed. All this has been changed to the best Chris- tian civilization can give. The transformation came about in less than fifty years. People now living in the islands tell how the natives used to gather in public assemblies with the scantiest loin cloth about their naked 5 The Alexander Farsonat^e: House of tin- Missionary bodies, of their difficulties in the use of clothing and money, and of their efiforts to learn to read and write. A stranger today meeting the cultured Hawaiians in Honolulu can hardly believe that five years must yet pass before there can he celebrated the one hundredth anni- versary of the burning of the idols by the people themselves, which hap- l)ened some months before the arrival of the first missionaries. It was just about this time that the frightful system of taboo was overthrown, heathen customs largely given up, and a nation without a religion gladly W’el- comed the first representatives of the American Board. Kamehameha the Great, who died just the year before, had succeeded in uniting all the islands under his rule. Thus the bloody wars in Hawaiian history had largely ceased before the forces of civiliza- tion had begun their work. A re- markable historical event took place in 1823, when Princess Kapiolani be- gan the overthrow of fire worship by a deed as brave as that of the prophet Elijah at Mount Carmel. Wooden idols had already been burned by national edict, yet the superstition that the volcano of Kilauea was controlled by Pele, the fire goddess, still held the people. Kapiolani bravely gathered berries sacred to the goddess and threw 0 them into the burning pit. For this alone her death was expected by her attendants. She then went down close to the glowing lava, and turning to her followers said, “Jehovah made these fires. I fear not Pele. Great is the goodness of Jehovah in sending missionaries to turn us from these vanities to the living God.” In 1825 the Ten Commandments were adopted as a basis of law for the nation. It is an interesting fact that at the very time of the wonder- ful ingathering of 35,000 converts to the membership of the churches after long probation, that the Hawaiian king and his nobles gave civil rights to his 170,000 subjects. This all happened about 1840. Six years later the last relics of feudalism were abolished by the so-called r.and Act, by which the King gave up all his crown lands and made the people owners of the soil. All land grants in Hawaii today go back to the royal patents then issued. A series of unfortunate political disturbances kept successively following in the royal household. This would naturally be the case in such a small country, where kingly power had meant so much, and where now the common people were more and more becoming educated and democratic in their tendencies. In 1874 the Legislature elected David Kalakaua king. Through his visit shortly after his coronation to the United States a re- ciprocity treaty was ar- ranged, which was renewed in 1887. The story of what happened from that day on, Kalakaua’s treachery, his death in San Francisco, the reign of his sister, who is still living and highly honored in Flawaii, Queen Liliuokalani, and gradual dissatisfaction with the monarchy, can be cpiickly told. In 1894 the Republic was formed. Sanford B. : Waihiku Union Church Dole was made President and a Legislature of two chambers formed. By resolution of Congress of the United States passed July 7th, 1898, the Hawaiian Islands were formally annexed by August 12th the same year, and became the Territory of Hawaii. All citizens of the Republic at the time of annexation were made citizens of the United States and of the Terri- tory. In the matter of educating her people, Hawaii has always held high ideals. From earliest days, her schools, at first private, and later also public under the care of the government, have been excellent. In connection with Lahainaluna school the first printing press west of the Rocky iMountains, was set up. Here the oldest newspaper in the W'est was printed. It is today known as “The Friend.” This school was a model for General Samuel C. Armstrong in his wonderful educational .system at Hampton. ^lany excellent boarding schools have industrial education as their special aim. In all these schools the religious influence predominates. Growth of character is sought as a prime requisite in education. English is, of course, the only language used in all these institutions. They are in reality training camps for American citizens. With more than one-third of the total poj)ulation Japanese, nearly another third Hawaiians. Portuguese, and CliiiU'Sf Women. Wailukn Chinese, and the balance American, Korean, Spanish. Filipino, Porto Rican and all other races that are found in Hawaii. America must depend upon her schools to Americanize her people in this Territory. The Church is doing a noble work among most trying conditions. The American Board began the task, when it was supported by all denominations in New England. The direct result is a magnificent union work throughout Hawaii in which all denominations of Chris- 8 tians unite. One out of every twenty-two persons of the total popu- lation is a member of our Union Church. This work the American Missionary Association is generously aiding each year. The propor- tion of gifts by the members of these churches for missionary work in all departments is not less than an average of $15.00 a member each year. Side by side with us and in most cases upon the friendliest of working arrangement stands also the Roman Catholic, Episcopal and Methodist Churches, all of whom began work after the American Board had opened the field. These churches in most cases have definite fields of work in various communities. The Methodist Church has as its special field the Koreans on the sugar plantations. Wailukii; Sunar Cano in Forouround Many young Chinese and Japanese are reaching the age, when they have the right to vote. With a deep sense of the obligations of .\merican citizenship they voluntarily have been coming to leaders in Christian work in the Islands and asking for citizenship classes. ( )f late the men prominent in Japanese national and educational circles have been urging their young countrymen in Hawaii who will have the right to vote to learn all they can of America and become good citizens. “Become true Americans,” say these leaders. Alany a Japanese who has no right to citizenship according to American laws at present in force has said to the writer, ‘T would be so happy, if I could vote as an American citizen.” Thrust immediately upon all our religions, philanthropic and edu- cational institutions of Hawaii is the task of educating young men of foreign birth. They are coming to us in overwhelming numbers The duty that America is facing within her own mainland borders and 9 so nobly fulfilling, is in Hawaii an imperative obligation. The Church in America must send into that Mid-Pacific Territory the best the country can produce as trained leaders. Group in Front of Lupi-r Church. Molokai In the past, great men have been trained in Hawaii, men who are now doing their work there. But the future must bring to the prob- lems in Hawaii even more men who are taught to take the message that America has of peace and good will to the nations of the earth. One hundred years ago Humboldt predicted that the greatest mari- time commerce on the planet would be carried on through Pacific waters. The prophet of religion of today has his eyes on Hawaii as the key not only to this commerce, but also to future international relations. The idea of the brotherhood of man is no experiment in our “Isles of Peace.” Hawaii, at the cross-roads of the Pacific, has proved to America and to the world that the representatives of many nations can here live at peace with one another. The Church of America must help Hawaii to continue to prove that the true American, no matter from what race he may have sprung, is that American who lives above the meanness of national jealousies and regards every man the world over as his brother in Jesus Christ. 10