The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-08-16
Has Demanded Suffrage OF the
Provisional Government
for Japanese Here.
so FAR THE MATTER REMAINS
IN ABEYANCE

! In order to furnish the readers of this
| journal with additional information
concerning the recent scheme to in
duce Japanese laborers to immigrate
| to Guatemala from these islands, and
| to ascertain, If possible, to what an
| extent the scheme had been carried
| out, an ADVERTISER reporter called
upon the Hon. Saburo Full, III. I. J.
Ms diplomatic agent and consul
general, at his office and residence on
Nuuanu avenue yesterday afternoon.
After being received in very cour-
teous manner (for which the Japanese
are so famous), and replying to q
question propounded by the reporter,
Hon. Mr.. Fujii said 81 have no hest
fancy in saying that I am opposed to
the subjects of our country going, or
being sent, to Guatemala, or to any
other portion OF Central Amer
lea, at this time, for the very
sufficient reason that no treaty exists
between the two governments, and /
have so informed both Captain Fergu-
son and Mr.. Paul Neumann. / was
now being negotiated at Washington
City between the ministers resident
of the two countries at that place, in
which treaty ample privileges and
protection would be given and gran
ted Japanese subjects who might de-
sire to immigrate to Guatemala from
these islands or emigrate from their
own country. I have not received any
official notice, either from my govern
ment or from our minister at Wash
ington, in regard to any treaty being
prepared, and cannot, therefore, speak
authoritatively on that subject. Cap
tain Ferguson informed me, further,
that it was his intention to proceed to
Japan and secure several hundred
labOrerS from there as soon as
the treaty between Guatemala
and Japan had been ratified by the
two governments" Replying to
question, the honorable gentleman
said "he informed the captain that he
thought it improbable that he could
procure japanese in Japan for the
class of work he required of them,
even if a treaty existed; and that at
least years time would necessarily
be required in which to conclude and
ratify treaty between my govern
ment and Guatemala.
"While 1 desire to say, and wish
you to understand, that L am opposed
to japanese going to Guatemala, L am
not in position to prevent them from
doing so and can only advise them on
that score, which / have already done,
against going there. / was stationed
in New York and San Francisco for
several years, and when in the
latter city, some five years ago,
[ was approached on a similar
proposal to this, and / posi-
lively refused to sanction any
such measure. I believe" said he,
"that about fifty of my cOuntrymen
have already been induced by Captain
Ferguson to go to Guatemala, and the
captain told me he desired to employ
about $50 more from these islands"
Regarding the right of suffrage
islands, with property qualification,
the Hon. Mr.. Fujii stated that he had
made such a demand upon the Pro-
visional government, which demand
had been replied to by that govern
ment and had been forwarded by him
to the japanese government. The
nature of the reply from the Provis-
ional government, the honorable
gentleman very correctly refused to
make public. Up to the present time,
he had received no reply from his
government touching that made by
the Provisional government to his de-
mand. 1t was quite possible, he said,
that some news might arrive by the
steamer City of Picking, due today.
So far as he was aware of honor
able Mr.. Fujii said no reply had been
received concerning the matter of
the refusal of the Hawaiian planta-
ton owners to agree to an additional
cost of S12 or S13 consequent upon the
securing of contract laborers in Japan
to work on their plantations. He did
not know anything about these mat
tiers, and, consequently, would rather |
not be quoted in regard to them.
A few moments spent in a social |
chat on various subjects, ended one of |
the most interesting and instructive |
in which the reporter ever |
took a part.