The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-03-11

en- il so. and in my opinion il is sim
ply prejudice OF the people here
| against my people
The parents OF these free laborer.
| can furnish them money and expert
! ence no hardship from il and I know
| from an investigation. which has beer
made by me, quietly. If YOU wish. tina
| the charges made are groundless. It i.
! serious thin 10 prevent the landins
or these japanese subjects. q very seri
Gus thing"
Have yc- had any correspondence,
with the Department of Foreign Affair.
relative ID The matter?" was asked o.
the Consul
''As Yet 10. l have been too busy il
my Office and I see by the papers that
! the matter Is being taken TO the Su-
preme Court. This was the case some
months ago and il was decided that the
Japanese had q legal right to land
In day or two. after this present case
goes to the Court and decided | will
act but / cannot do so until then"
In reply 10 the questions whether OF
not the Japanese Government had been
notified of the affair. Mr. Shimamura
answered testify
Certainly. l must keep my Govern
ment informed in all matters which
pertain to Japanese subjects. This
matter, let me repeat is a serious one
to us and all of the documents in my
possession in connection with the case
will be forwarded TO the department
at Toxic by the steamer tomorrow -
You also forwarded a cablegram by
the Australia today. Mr. Shimamura
was that in relation to this quarantine
case?' asked the reporter.
1t had TO do with that. yes. but you
must not question me too closely. You
understand my position and that there
are questions cannot answer"
With keen perception of the stu
alton the reporter became more guard
ed and the next question was:
"Of course you do not mind telling
me, Mr.. Shimamura whether or not
you have requested your Government
to send man of war here?"
At this the shrewd diplomat lodged
again and said laughingly. 4 must
decline to answer such a leading ques-
ton. My Government has been noti-
fed of the action of this Government
further than that l decline to speak"
Then the reporter tried a side step
followed by a center rush on another
point which seemed vulnerable.
chants, Mr.. Shimamura, that you ia
vor the importation of all free labor
as may wish TO come, and when the
number is so much greater than the
demand that employment is an i'm
possibility, they may return to Japan.
Is that 500"
why should they not come The
treaty gives them the right and. if
they have the necessary financial quail
ification, no matter the source from
which it is derived, why should they
be prevented a landing Does this
Government question German, British
or American subjects as TO where they
obtained the money to get here or to
enable them to land? No, sir! and
this close inquiry into the cases of the
Japanese is merely prejudice. A few
years ago and their charges might
be true, but today it is not. l have in
vestigated this matter and understand
it fully"
when the case is decided by the
Supreme Court, what will be your
course?" was asked the Consul Gen
eral.
THAT depends entirely upon results.
7 may ask the Minister of Foreign At
fairs for an explanation. l may go
further and insist upon an investiga-
ton, at which l will be present l pro-
pose acting as the eXigencies of the
case require"
For the sake of argument, then, Mr..
Shimamura. let us assume that the
case is decided in favor of the Japan
ese Tn that event. viii Japan ask
damages from this Government ?"
THAT I cannot say. The people who
have been kept in quarantine longer
than the law specifies certainly suffer
damage. The steamship company. too.
may feel injured. for the steamer is
kept here at great expense and the
company may ask damages. I do not
know what will be done and it is
only for me to report the case to my
Government. I can take no action in
the premises until I hear from Toxic.
'On the other hand, suppose the
case is decided against the Japanese,
and the Government orders their per-
emptory return. What will be your
action them"
IF contract laborers; understand,
there is a distinction between contract
and free laborers. if the contract la
borers have come here against the
laws of the Republic | will have moth
ing to say after this is proven in court
Ny actions will be in reference to the
free laborers, those who have $50 in
their possession, and are refused a
landing because there is suspicion
that the money does not belong &c
them I do not think those men will
go back
Your position in that case, Mr.
Shimamura. will be aggressive, and in
this place to be aggressive. one must
have something more stable than the
Pacific Ocean behind him. Do you ex-
pect a warship from Japan in response
TO the dispatches which you sent or
the Australia yesterday. the Peru or
Tuesday. or the steamer China, which
sails for Yokohama tomorrow"
Again l must decline TO answer
your question. l would be pleased tC
give you all the information you re-
quest, but there are some forms which
must be respected in diplomatic cir
cles, and answering such questions is
one of them"
Then let me put the question in {