government which would abrogate the present laws or do away with the freedom and rights which are now enjoyed. They want more, not less, self-government, with American citizenship."

Another embarrassing factor in the situation for the American administrators was the presence of nearly seven thousand persons who had chosen to retain their Spanish citizenship. These persons, according to Governor Hunt, owned in 1904 the greater part of the insular taxable property; he described them as out of sympathy with American innovations, and through their control of the influential newspapers as heaping ridicule upon the American policies. The governor hinted that the time might come when an alien land tax would be necessary to check the fractious opposition of these persons.

The Federal party, taking advantage of the growing discontent, and realizing that it could be influential only through the use of the ballot, entered vigorously into the campaign of 1902, polling about one-fourth of the total vote cast. Thereafter the quiet of the legislature gave place to strong party feeling; the party caucuses of the members met daily, and few measures were voted upon except with reference to the advantage of party and under orders from the caucus or the one or two party "chiefs" whose word was law. In February, 1904, the Federal party leaders believed the time was ripe for a new organization, and accordingly disbanding their party, they adopted a declaration. termed the "Union of Porto Rico", and called themselves an "Association of Patriots", a name which later was superseded by the shorter one of "Unionists." They asked either for admission into the American Union as a State or the establishment of the island as an independent nationality under an American protectorate; and said they would be dissatisfied with anything less than the granting of definite citizenship and a full autonomous government for the island. Apologies were later made for the expressions relating to independence, which seemed to gain no popular support. But

the demands for an elective council and American citizenship were continued and soon gained recruits to the Unionist party. Governor Hunt replied to the request for a full territorial government by the statement that such a government would mean the national assumption of the customs and excise duties and thus cut off a very large part of the insular revenues. He believed, also, that the conservative interests of the island wished the American-controlled council as a check upon the political and financial excesses of the masses of the people.

In the summer of 1904 the Porto Rican Republican party affiliated with the Republican party of the United States, and its delegates were seated in the national convention at Chicago. But notwithstanding this source of strength, the new Unionists, with their cry of autonomy and American citizenship, were successful both in the insular and in the municipal elections. They chose twenty-five out of the thirty-five members of the lower house, and elected the officers in thirty out of the forty-six municipalities. After their success the Unionists demanded a sweeping change in departmental officers and the filling of all positions with Unionists. When the American members of the council refused assent, the lower house attempted to pass a civil service law requiring all present as well as future incumbents to pass competitive examinations. This also was rejected by the council. The governor, however, approved the proposal of the Unionists to obtain American citizenship for the inhabitants of the island.

Viewed from an American standpoint, an appreciation of the present needs of the island may be gained from the recommendations made by Governor Winthrop to Congress in his report for the year closing June 30, 1905, that full United States citizenship be extended to all Porto Ricans; and, in order to quiet the political excitement of frequent elections, that the insular elections be held every four instead of every two years. His remaining recommendations were chiefly economic in character. An import duty of three to

five cents a pound upon all foreign-grown coffee was recommended as a means of protecting and encouraging the development of the coffee industry in Porto Rico and Hawaii. The restrictions upon the holding of land by corporations should, according to the governor, be changed to allow corporations to hold as much as 5,000 acres of land, instead of only 500 acres under the terms of the joint resolution of May 1, 1900. He also advocated the dredging and improvement of the harbor of San Juan, the payment of the expenses of the Federal district court from Federal funds, and the erection of Federal buildings in San Juan, Ponce, and Mayaguez.

CHAPTER VI

HAWAII AS AN INDEPENDENT NATION

THE "Paradise of the Pacific" is the description which has been applied to the seven inhabited islands and five rocky islets, which, from the native name of the largest island, have come to be called the Hawaiian Islands. Situated within twenty degrees of the equator the climate is remarkably mild and equable; frost and snow are unknown except upon the summits of the highest mountain peaks; the climate is tempered by the northeast trade winds which for nine months of the year blow upon the islands, and by the cool Japan current flowing across the Pacific and bathing the island shores. With an average annual temperature of 75°, the range of the thermometer at Honolulu is from 55° to 88°. The annual rainfall, while varying greatly in different parts of the islands, and reaching the excessive precipitation of two hundred inches on Mount Kilauea, is, upon the average, moderate in amount, and measures about fifty inches. There is rarely much humidity in the atmosphere, and malarial diseases are almost unknown.

Semi-tropical vegetation furnishes the drapery for volcanic peaks, rugged valleys, and plains of lava; and, as the soil varies in different places from absolute sterility to inexhaustible fertility, the scenery of the islands is similarly varied. Desert-like tracts of tufa and barren precipitous hills give place in the valleys to all the luxuriance of plantlife of the lower temperate zone. There are no birds or

beasts of prey, no poisonous reptiles, and few insects. Agricultural products can be easily raised upon the fertile lands and they furnish almost the sole source of insular wealth. Thus in respect to climate, to flora and fauna, and to scenery, the islands deserve the title which has been bestowed upon them.

The Hawaiian Islands are situated between the lines of 18° and 23° north latitude, and of 154° and 161° west longitude; and, stretching in a curve of three hundred and fifty miles from northwest to southeast, lie about two thousand miles southwest of San Francisco. The total area of the islands is 6,740 square miles; of which the island of Hawaii comprises about two-thirds; the other habitable islands in order of size are Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, and Niihau. Honolulu the capital city and principal harbor is situated upon the southern coast of Oahu. All the islands are of volcanic origin, and in lava tracts, geological structure, and extinct craters attest the manner of their formation. On the island of Hawaii there are four volcanoes which have been active in historic times; one of which, Kilauea, possesses the largest constantly active crater in the world; and two others, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, are each over thirteen thousand feet in height.

The inhabitants at the time of the discovery of the islands by Europeans are described as tall and well-formed, of an olive or reddish-brown complexion, with long black or brown hair, black eyes, and Roman nose. In physical strength they surpassed the inhabitants of the other Pacific islands, and in some respects were stronger than the American Iroquois. With advancing years there was a tendency to corpulency, which has been attributed to the extensive consumption of starchy vegetable foods. Intellectually, they were inquisitive, possessing high powers of observation, and considerable imagination, and, after contact with Europeans they proved apt in acquiring a knowledge of reading and of mathematics. They are further described as frank, impulsive, mirthful, and hospitable, but indolent, and in