Under Hawaiian skies, a narrative of the romance, adventure and history of the Hawaiian Islands, a complete historical account, by Albert Pierce Taylor.

478

UNDER HAWAIIAN SKIES

Resolution of Annexation was introduced into the House of
Representatives and passed. It went to the Senate and was passed by that august body on July 6, 1898, and the document was
signed the following day by President McKinley.
On August 12, a memorable scene was enacted in Honolulu in
front of the old palace. In the presence of a detachment of U.
S. Marines, Hawaiian soldiery, diplomats of many countries and
with the entire personnel of President Dole's official family occupying a platform, United States Minister Harold M. Sewell,
received from President Dole, the sovereignty of the Hawaiian
Islands, on behalf of the United States; the Hawaiian flag was
lowered from the palace flagstaff and the American flag was
lloistel.
A commission, appointed by President McKinley, consisting of
U. S. Senators Cullom, of Illinois, and Morgan, of Alabama,
and Representative Hitt, of Illinois, President Dole and Associate Justice Frear, for Hawaii, met in Honolulu and formulated a report in which was involved the future form of government for the Hawaiian Islands. From this the Organic Act
was formulated into a bill and passed by the American Congress, designating the Hawaiian Islands as an integral and de
facto territory of the United States, to go into effect on June 14,
1900, the Republican form to continue until that date.
The Hawaiians became the best of American citizens and probably no unit of the American union has a better class of American citizens, despite the fact that, aside from the native Hawaiians, the citizen population includes a large number of men and
women born of Asiatic parents. There are few distinctions of
race or color in the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiians were
never rea a regarded as a race separate and apart from the foreigners
who entered their country. They take part in all civic affairs
equally with those descended from other races.
In the World War the Hawaiians showed their loyalty when
they enlisted by scores before the draft. They garrisoned the
islands forts, releasing the regulars. Many lost their lives on
European battlefields, fighting under British or American colors.