The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-08-02
JAPAN'S PROTEST.

States Senate for confirmation,
after having received the sigma
lures of the President, and his Sec
rotary of State, as well as those of
the authorized commissioners from
Hawaii, the japanese Minister
Hoshi, residing at Washington, in
quired of Secretary Sherman,
whether provision had been made
in the new treaty, to secure to the
japanese who are in Hawaii the
same privileges after the anneXa-
ton treaty goes into force, that are
guaranteed by the existing treaty
between Japan and Hawaii. Mr..
Sherman replied that the United
States Government did not assume
any obligations of the Hawaiian
Government arising under treaties
made by it with other govern
ments. 1t was this reply which
probably led Minister Hoshi to
enter his protest, for which
he probably had no better rea-
son to sustain him than other
governments have, with which Ha-
wall has made treaties. Or the mo-
tive NAV have been the desire to
secure for all the japanese now III
Hawaii, the privilege of migrating
to the continent without let or
hindrance. The protest entered by
him rested on three grounds:
1. That the maintenance of the
Statu quo is essential to the good
understanding of the Pacific
Powers.
9. That Hawaiian annexation
would imperil the residential, COM
mercial and industrial rights of
Japanese subjects in Hawaii, rights
secured to them by treaty and by
the laws of Hawaii.
3. That such annexation might
lead to a postponement OF the set
Element of claims and liabilities, al
ready existing in favor of Japan,
under treaty stipulations.
The first of the above clauses is
too absurd to require notice, as all
European governments agree that
Hawaii belongs to the American
sphere of political influence in the
Pacific. Japan alone stands as OBJ
iector. The second clause of the
protest is equally untenable. I'm
der the treaty between Hawaii and
Japan, no exclusive right is granted
to her people here that is not grant
ed to those of other nationaities.
No clause in the treaty allows
either Hawaiians to become sub
iects of the Emperor of Japan, or
Japanese to become subjects or citi-
zens in Hawaii; while under the
present constitution of Hawaii, no
foreigners can become citizens
here. Consequently, Japan has no
more ground for protesting than
England or Germany, as all are
treated alike.
The third clause in Japan's pro
test asserts that her claim for in
demnity in not allowing certain
immigrants to land may not be set
tied, if annexation takes place. If
the questions in dispute are to be
referred to arbitration this has no
force.
japanese in Hawaii will en- Joy
all the rights and privileges granted
to them in the treaty under which
they came here-rights of domicil
only. Nothing more was guaran-
teed to them. And the annexation
treaty deprives them of none, as it
deprives subjects of no other ma
tionality any of the rights secured
to them by similar treaties.
Whether they will ever be allowed
to migrate to the United States, de-
ponds altogether on the latter
power. At present she does not
permit any but the educated classes
from Japan to enter her territory,
though some do enter by way of
Canada If the Japanese now here