News on Screen

Series

Series Name

The March of Time 3rd Year

Issue

Issue No.

7

Date Released

1937

Stories in this Issue:

• 1. the Spoils system
• 2. America’s Gibraltar
• 3. AmoskEag Success Story

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 3

Summary

March of Time synopsis: The new issue of "The March of Time", in an episode entitled "America’s Gibraltar", shows the American island of Hawaii to be not only an industrial and argicultural asset to the nation, but the key to national defence in the Pacific, and the most formidably fortified area in the world. "The March of Time" recounts how in 1898 the island was grudgingly annexed by America under territorial status. With cheap labour from China and Japan, planters transformed tropical jungle into fertile fields of cane-sugar and pineapple. Hawaii’s population is predominantly Oriental. Of the island’s 400,000 inhabitants but 3 per cent. are pure Hawaiians, less than 5 per cent. mainland U.S. citizens, and about 40 per cent. are Japanese. Burdened with American citizenship, without many of its privileges, and protesting against full taxation without representaion, Hawaii’s representative is preparing a bill which would make the island America’s 49th state. Voiced in the story are the arguments of those who oppose this. Army and navy circles tell congressional committees that with £20,000,000 already spent to make the island impregnable to attack, full military control of Hawaii is essential to national defence. Others point to the predominance of Japanese, who despite American citizenship, are unfailingly loyal to their Empreror. While the campaign for statehood gains force, America, under the New Deal is committeed to a programme which will make Hawaii the Gibraltar of the Pacific.

Researcher Comments

This story was made for the British edition and was not shown in the USA.

Keywords

Politics and government; Military

Written sources

The March of Time Promotional Material   Used for synopsis

Credits:

Production Co.

Time Inc.