The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-12-22
a JAP ON ANNEXATION.

Keijoro Nakamura has written an
article in the December Forum emit
tied Hawaiian Annexation From
Japanese Point of View," which
merits consideration coming from the
source it does. Mr.. Nakamura saws
that in 1893, the Japanese, by which
he means the ruling classes, were as
tonished at the overturn here, in that
year, and the acceptance of the pro-
posed annexation of the Islands ty
President Harrison, and the revival
of the same treaty has caused double
establishment in Japan"
Mr.. Nakamura then tries to show
that three pleas for annexation are
wrong. He first takes up the protec-
toral power exercised by the United
States over the Islands for. the past
seventy years, and argues that that
power does not authorize annexation
But he forgets entirely that annexa-
ton to the United States has been
looked to as the ultimate outcome of
the political situation here for many
years. He does not remember, if he
knows the fact, that in the tifties one
of the Hawaiian kings very nearly
consummated the annexation of the
Islands to the United States. and that
treaty was to bring about close po-
litical union, and if by closer politi-
cal union anything else than anneXa-
ton is meant, one would like to he
told what it is.
Next this writer claims that things
socially accomplished through 1.-The in
PRODUCTION of capital, intellect and be-
lief" do not constitute ANY political
claim" Here again it is impossible to
agree. The introduction of capital,
intellect and belief" have led the Unit
ed States on her march westward, un-
til her hardy frontiersmen crossed the
Rockies and the Sierras and dipped
their weary feet in the blue waves OF
the Pacific Ocean. 1t was the same
introduction that has peopled many
far off places on the globe, with the
off spring of the Anglo-Saxon and 9TH
er races. Australia, New Zealand,
Fiji, Africa, are cases in point. The
-'capital, intellect and belief of the
dominating race has come in, and has
eventually taken possession as of a
l.. ,rIt I
belief of the United States has civilz-
ed and built up this country it is
quite just that the United States
should have political claim and
very strong one.
Lastly Mr.. Nakamura objects to the
present government offering the Is
lands to the United States, but he
quite forgets that the government;w was
formed for this purpose, that the pres
emit constitution calls upon the gov
eminent to make the offer, and that
the government has proved its
strength and its right by ruling for ID
number of years.
The main part of the article is ia
ken up with striving to prove that ia
pan never had any ambition in the Ill
rection of the Hawaiian Islands, and
he points out that though the Japa-
nese are steadily increasing in num-
Der they have no political power. This
he bases on the fact that they cannot
satisfy the property qualification for
franchise.' OF course it is evident that
Mr.. Nakamura has not read the con-
stitution, or that he has not under
stood it. The japanese and Chinese
are not debarred from the franchise
by any property qualification, in that
there is no property qualification for
a voter for representative, but that
they they are debarred under Article
1s of the constitutions Section 5,
which prevents the naturalization of
any alien who is not a citizen or
subject of a country having express.
treaty stipulations with the Republic
of Hawaii concerning naturalization.
AS neither of these countries have