The Hawaiian gazette., 1897-04-13

toned by Mr.. d. Stevens, the counsellQ
of the japanese Legation, who claim
that / am in error both in my facts an
| in my conclusions. The interview ha,
reference to the reported refusal of tn
| Hawaiian Government to allow 5Sl Jap
anese immigrants TO land in Honolulu.
THE facts which l stated, continued
Mr. Thurston, were, in substance:
First. That by treaty all Japanes'
have the right of ingress into Hawaii
| My authority for such statement is art
| icle of the observation-disclosures treaty
dated August l9, 1871, page 115 of Ha
| waiian treaties, which gives free right o
| ingress to Hawaii This treaty is still
in force and is entirely distinct from th'
| labor convention which Mr.. Steven!
| says is intsrminable on years notice
| This convention is now dead letter, NJ
immigrants coming under its terms.
A CHANGE OF POLICY.
Second. / stated that formerly tht
| Japanese Government only allowed Jap
| anese to come to Hawaii under contract
i by which they were under the contro
| and supervision of the Hawaiian GOV
| ernment, but that recently it had changed
| it's policy and allowed free immigration
| TO Hawaii, which was being actively pro
NOTED by a number OF Japanese immi
| grafton companies, who were pouring
Japanese into the country without any
| check on the part of the Government as
| to what became of therG
My authority for making this state,
| nent is that from 1857 to 1890 l was presi-
dent of the Hawaiian Board of Immigra.
| Hon and had personal knowledge of the
| conditions under which all Japanese i'm
migrants came to Hawaii; and that
am personally acquainted with the Ho-
| nolulu agents of the companies indicated
| and know from the official records in Ho-
| nolulu, which L have examined within
| the last four months, that none of the
Japanese immigrants who came to Ho-
| nolulu during 1896 came under the labor
convention, which Mr. Stevens refers to
under which the Hawaiian Government
| would have had control of them.
Third. | stated that the late Minister
| to Washington was a member of one ol
| these immigration companies.
| Mr.. Stevens says: Neither the Jap
| aneSe Minister as stated by Mr.. Thurs
| ton, nor other japanese officials have any
| connection with these companies My
authority for this statement is an adver
/ tisement in the Hawaiian Gazette of No
yember 10, 1896, by the Japan Immigra
| tion Company of Osaka, Japan, in which
| the following statement appears, aftel
| the objects of the company are set forth
| Following are the persons who compos,
| the company:
'Fozo Tatino, ex-Minister to Wash
| ington'
Il refer also to the records of the Su
| preme Court of Hawaii in the case o
| In re application of Masumoto Michi
moshu for a writ of habeas corpus de
cided November Is, 1896, in which mem
| ber of the company and also its Homo
| lulu manager, both testified under oatl
that Coco latino, ex-Minister to Wash
ington, was a member of the company.
Fourth. l stated that the Hawaiian
| Government had passed a law prohibit
ing any immigrant to land who could no
| produce $50, and gave instances of eva
sion of the law and how it PRACTICAL!
| failed TO keep any of the Japanese out
My authority for this statement is tn
| Hawaiian statute, and the fact that dur
| ing the year 1896 ! was an attorney be
fore the Supreme Court of Hawaii in 1
| cases arising out of this law.
A PEACEFUL INVASION.
Fifth. stated that, under these con
1 ditions, there was a peaceful invasion
of Hawaii going on, as a result of whicl
| within five years from now, if the pres
| ent rate of japanese immigration to Ha
! waii continues, they will be majority o
the inhabitants of the entire country.
| My authority for this statement is tn
| census statistics of Hawaii, shown:
that: In 1884 the Japanese numbered lie
in 1880 the Japanese numbered 12,360; il
1886 the japanese numbered 24,407, out o
| a total population, of 10000.
Il further refer to the Custom Hous
statistics of Honolulu for 1896, whicl
show that the number of Japanese VIII,
| entered Honolulu during 1895 was onl.
2,93s, while during 1886 the number wa
| b,5-Z, oil WnOm Z.Zi0 came curing lile las
| three months.
| Mr.. Stevens says that the Japanes
| Government has nothing TO do with thi
| immigration. l did not say that ii did
L said that it is the well nigh universe
| belief in Hawaii that the present extra
ordinary movement from Japan TO Ha
| wall is part of systematic plan, wit
the full approval of the japanese Gov
ernment, to gain control of the Islands
| Whether this is so or not L cannot say
| Csarf1iDly- n certain method of
complishing that result can be followe
than that which is now going on.
In support of this statement 1 refe
TO the files of the Honolulu papers, whic
are continually discussing this subject
and TO the Honolulu correspondence o
the Star dated February 25 last, pub
lished in the Star of the l9 inst; and t
the address issued in Honolulu by roy
alist leaders on February 10 last, urgin
annexation as the sole salvation fror
| japanese domination.
This belief is based on the facts abov
set forth, and also upon the knowledg
that not long since pressure was brough
| to bear by the japanese Government [
secure the right TO vote for Japanes
subjects in Hawaii, and that within tn
year last past a further demand wa
made that the Hawaiian Governmen
should not allow any more Chinese
, enter Hawaii, on the specific ground tha
it would be injurious to Japanese intel
! ests.
Mr.. Stevens further states it is sal
to say that 90 out of every 100 Japanes
who go TO Hawaii, go there in furthel
ance of agreements for their employmer
upon the plantations
When Mr.. Stevens speaks of his ow
knowledge his word is as good as hi
: bond, but the above statement does ,.s
purport TO be from knowledge, while III
Honolulu Customs records show that O
an average during 1896 only 20 to 25 pc
cent came under plantation contract. I
November last | made personal inQuir
OF the immigration companies as to Whs
became of the other - per cent and wa
2 informed that they had no idea-that
was none of their business
Mr.. Stevens states that originally III
Hawaiian Government encouraged JaI
anese immigration. This is correct: bI
the correctness of such policy in ISS
, with l16 japanese in the country. is or
1 thing and in 1881, with over $500. is al
2 other. As a fact, the Hawaiian Cover
q ment is now struggling against the in
migration, with but Indifferent success.
The foregoing are some of the al
e thoriues supporting my facts Ever
: one can draw his own conclusions
Il have not the remOtesI personal fee
ing against Japanese individually, or Z
: a whole, having many personal frienC
!. among them. and in the practice of N
= profession they are among my be
! clients II is with regret that / have fe
r IL my duty to make the statement Whic
I Mr. Stevens objects TO. NY sole obje
p. | was and is TO bring TO the notice of II
] American people that Western cfvilizi
: ton in Hawaii is faced with a condition
n which words viii not change, and in II
dealing with which We, as the vanguar
ask their assistance before it is too late