The Hawaiian gazette., 1897-06-25
is COMPLICATED
Japanese Affair Has Two
Additions.
Sake Import Duty and Per
Centage of Laborers in
Hawaii.

Late papers from the Coast contain
Washington dispatches TO the effec
that the japanese Government hal
presented, through Minister Shima
mura, two additional claims agains
the Hawaiian Government, and in con,
sequence, the difficulties between tht
two Governments are more complicat.
ed. Minister Shimamura was seen by
q representative of the Advertiser yes
terday and questioned regarding them.
ct is quite true that two additional
claims have been presented by me on
behalf of the japanese Government to
the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ha-
Eaii, but it was some ume ago. l pre-
sumo the delay of the Government in
answering my communication of June
9Th may be caused, TO some extent, by
the attention necessary to solve the
three questions and answer them at
one time. The filing of the two addi-
tional claims for consideration by this
Government at this time should not be
considered as a plan to harrass ii.
Such is not the case. AS / have told
you on several previous visits, Japan
wants only justice, and these affairs
may be settled as well now as at any
other time.
For long time my Government has
considered it Disseminated against I'M
justly in the matter of the percentage
of japanese laborers permitted to come
here during the year. The rule, you
understand. is that to 66 Chinese la
brorers landing in Hawaii but SO jap
anese may come. Ny Government does
not feel that, under the treaty existing
between the two Governments, any
specific number or percentage should
be named. That is one of the addi-
tional matters which the Hawaiian
Government is now considering. The |
other is the prohibitive duty to be i'm
posed on sake after July LIST next. The |
circumstances connected with this in
creased duty are peculiar: The last |
Legislature passed bill admitting |
wines. made of grapes, free of duty, and |
Immediately afterward increased the |
duty on sake from Is cents to 81 per !
gallon. As sake is the only wine of its |
kind coming to this country, it has |
nothing to compete with in the line of |
Hawaiian products, consequently the |
discrimination is all the greater. A
deputation of japanese merchants
waited on President Dole yesterday and
presented a memorial asking that the
duty be decreased and put back to its
original amount He has promised to
give the matter his careful considera-
tion and I suppose he will
"As to the annexation news, do not
know what TO think. It comes so sud-
den and unexpectedly to every one
that it would be hard to account for it.
The general impression, l am told, is
that it is a combination between the
Sugar Trust and the United States
Senate. Many of those who decline to
vote for a continuance of the Recipro-
city Treaty are willing to cast their
vote for annexation. and rather than
the Islands should suffer, President Nc
Kinley decided to submit a treaty an
nexing the country. Everything at this
end, I presume, is mere guess, and
will continue so until more definite
news is received by the next steamer.
One thing is certain: It will not affect
Japan We have never had a desire to
annex the territory. The place is too
far distant from home and too eXpen-
sive to govern. A little while ago we
took over Formosa. and we have had
more or less trouble since then. Who
ever takes Hawaii must necessarily
spend a vast amount of money in forti-
fying it, and in the maintenance of
military post, and the expense will be
known only after the territory is ac-
quired. This would be the case, wheth-
er Great Britain, the United States or
any other country would annex the
Islands.
4 do not see where Japanese immi-
grants could be affected by the United
States annexing this country. We
have new treaty with the United
States, TO go into effect in two years,
that is almost identical with the one
we now have with Hawaii. In the case
of China, it would be different, unless
Congress should see fit to pass one law
for this part of the country and an
other for the mainland. To me, the
exclusion act now in force would OBJ
tain here directly the treaty was rati-
fed. If it was not so, the planters in !
Louisiana would object With the
prospect of the abrogation of the treaty |
something would have to be done for |
the planters interests in Hawaii The |
price Of labor is as low as it can be |
had, and if the planters were obliged to
pay a duty on their sugar, the profits 1
would be small-too small to warrant |
any large investment of money in the |
industry"
Replying to a question regarding a
dispatch in California papers of June
10th. relating to additional instructions
being sent to Minister Shimamura, the
latter said:
q received further instructions yes
terday, and while they are quite salts
factory to me, am not at liberty to
state their nature. I am patiently 1
waiting reply from Minister of For
eign Affairs Cooper, and until it ar
rives, can only say that the situation
is practically the same. OF course, if the /
annexation rumor is correct, and the |
Hawaiian Senate ratifies the treaty, my
part Of the negotiations, should they
remain unfinished at that time, will be
transferred to the japanese Minister (
at Washington"
Australia Passengers.