Business: Ruddy's Hui

In the Territory of Hawaii, people of Asiatic descent make up almost half the islands' 540,000 population. But in the tight little islands' economy, dominated by the sugar-factoring "Big Five," they have had little chance to get rich—until Ruddy Fah Tongg came along. Ruddy showed them how.

Early in the war, plump, bustling Ruddy Tongg formed a syndicate of small businessmen, called a hid (rhymes with Louie), and bought up properties of Caucasians fleeing to the mainland. At war's end, Ruddy Tongg had $1,000,000 worth of choice assets, including a bottling works, lucrative Waikiki Tavern, an insurance company, a 36,000-acre ranch and...

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