Lust in Paradise

Honolulu, paradisaic melting pot of East & West, was tense with trouble last week. Yellow men's lust for white women had broken bounds. Short sharp disorders brought the tramp of soldiery through the streets. A tremor of apprehension ran through Hawaii's motley population-- coolies from China, great Russians from Siberia, little Japanese crowded off their homeland, Portuguese, Porto Ricans, Koreans, Filipinos, sugar and pineapple workers all.*

Last September the 20-year-old wife of a naval officer left a Honolulu dinner party to walk home. Five men, presumably Orientals, dragged her into their automobile, smashed her jaw, carried her to Waikiki Beach where they raped her, tossed her into a ditch. Honolulu was outraged, for the young woman was the daughter of a gallant soldier, the granddaughter of one of the world's greatest inventors. Her name, though known, is mentioned as rarely as possible in the Press in order to save her from further embarrassment.

Since that attack five other women, wives of civilians, have been assaulted in and around Honolulu.

Early this month a hung jury caused the release of five islanders charged with the first rape. Fourteen thousand Army & Navy men on the island boiled with .rage. Fortnight ago a Japanese, Horace Ida, was seized by three carloads of sailors from the Pearl Harbor base, whisked across the island to the Pali precipice. After threats to throw him over the 1,207-ft. cliff, Ida was stripped, beaten with belt buckles and pistol butts, kicked and cuffed, left half-dead.

Simultaneously eight riot calls were turned in at Honolulu. A Marine detachment from Pearl Harbor was called out while sailors in dungarees fought civilians about the streets. With order restored, the Navy canceled all leave while its shore patrol was doubled.

Next February the U. S. fleet will hold its battle practice in Hawaiian waters. Rear Admirals Yates Stirling Jr., district commandant, and George T. Pettengill, minecraft commander, publicly declared that Honolulu was unsafe for the wives of Naval officers and men and they were not to be brought to the islands for the maneuvers. They could not comment on the hazards for civilians wives, but Admiral Stirling warned: "Honolulu may expect cases of assault upon women unless the better element gets to work to stamp it out." Much to the relief of the city's business and resort leaders, he officially reported to Washington that there had been "disturbances" but "no rioting," that, in the Paradise of the Pacific, the "situation is under control."

*In the territory of Hawaii are 222,640 males, 145,696 females. Only 44% of the males are married.

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