The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-06-01
UNLESS SHE CHANGES TACTICS
One View of the Situation
from Outside.
Belief in Hongkong that Japan
Wishes to Try Her New
Navy.

cusses the future of the Islands, and
assigns Hawaii to the 'AIikado's" EN-
pire eventually. The Press says: The
continued existence of the Hawaiian
Islands as an Independent State may
possibly prove impraeticabIe, owing to
the personnel of their population The
natives no longer form even major
ity of the inhabitants, and there are at
least four large sections of the popu-
latiOn who may at any time cause the
sudden downfall of the administration,
if not a condition of revolution. The
probable number of inhabitants is
about 10000, of whom at least 10000
are Chinese, $1,000 Japanese, 5000
Portuguese and 10000 or $1,000 other
whites of European or American de-
scent. The balance represents the ma
tives and half-breeds. 1t will be APP
parent, therefore, that any measure af-
fecting the interests of one of these
large sections of the population is Ii
able at any time to create trouble, and
perhaps bring the administrative ma
chine to deadlock A difficulty has
lately arisen, the final issue of which
it is not easy to foresee The Japanese
emigration to the Islands has been 60
ing on steadily for many years, and
the emigrants have found profitable
employment there Many of them send
considerable sums of money (the fruit
of their labor on the plantations) home
to Japan, and a good number have also
returned to the land of the Rising Sun
Wit h hnfr
Islands lucrative field for their la
Dor, if not exactly an FL Dorado. the
japanese peasants flock there in the
hope of lettering their condition by
amassing a little capital.
The Hawaiian Government appear.
however, to think the country contains
sufficient number of Japanese. and
have determined to restrict the num-
Der On the arrival recently of the
steamer Shinshiu Maru at Honolulu
with 655 emigrants, c1ly 124 were per-
mitted to land, on the ground that
their landing was contrary to certain
regulations relating to the landing of
immigrants. 1t seems that $50 of the
emigrants, sent by the Kobe Toxic Kali
sha, really violated the regulations I'M
u,
tably that requiring each man to have
in his possession the sum of $50. The
other 35l men, shipped under the aus
pices of the Nippon Emigration Com
pany of Osaka and a similar body of
Hiroshima were so provided. but the
Hawaiian Government rejected them
on the ground that. so soon as they
were landed. they would have to re-
turn the money to the companies who
had shipped them.
Whether this is the fact we are not
in a position to say; probably it is a
very good guess at the truth But the
measure adopted, compelling their re-
turn, seems high handed to the Jap
anese, and has certainly given offense
to the Government and Press of Tokyo
The result is that Japanese man-of-
war has been dispatched to Honolulu
and the Yomiuri Shimbun is excitedly
asking what the Consul General in Ha-
wall was about to permit the affront to
Japan. The affair will probably end
in the protest now being made by the
Japanese Government, and a little
flourish with the warship-for the
time.
But for the future? The Japanese
Government are developing policy
and a navy, and as the latter is costing
a vast sum, it is not impossible they
may wish some fine day to turn it to
profitable account. When Japan has
acquired the greatest navy in Asia, and
has become one of the maritime pow
eFs of the world, is it not likely she
will seriously object to her subjects be-
ing debarred from settling in the Ha-
waiian islands, The present Repub-
lie established at Honolulu forcibly
disestablished the kingdom, and if
this assembly of island notables sue
ceeds in picking a quarrel with Japan
would it be worth the while of either
Great Britain or the United States to
take up the cudgels on their behalf
For it stands to reason that the Isl
and Government could not exist day
if Japan made cause of quarrel with it.
The United States would not wish to
see Hawaii become colony of Japan
nor probably would Great Britain care
10 have the japanese established in the
Pacific in position of such strategical
importance: but it is not at all impos-
Slblt lhttt SuIll d ldlt may Dcldll liz
Islands if their Government does not
go warily.
The latter have apparently taken
alarm at the increasing numbers oil
the japanese immigrants, and have
rather tactlessly sought, by the first
means TO hand. to impose check or
their influx into the Islands. The only
result has been to provoke an issue;
the Tokyo Government are now alive
to the fact that Japanese are unwel-
come in Hawaii. and they have strong
ly protested against this new method
of dealing with unwished-for immi
grants. The United States Govern
ment are reported to be sending {
man-of-war to Honolulu, but it is I'M
likely that they would do more thar
give the Hawaiian Republic mora
support if it came to an open rupture