The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-04-22
A PEACEFUL CONQUEST.

bne SUeduy lnIuN Ol JdpdueSe lHtO Jlle
country, taking up trades and going
into various lines in competition with
Americans and Europeans that we
have 10 fear, and it is the steady in
crease of those who are not under con-
tract as laborers that has to be consid
cred. In the matter of keeping out
japanese who come here without the
proper qualification for landing, the
Government has shown itself firm
and the two last vessels that have
come here had to take back the bulk
of their passengers. The expense en-
tailed in this has been a severe lesson
and will prevent much infringement of
the law in the future. But it will not
prevent any japanese from coming in
to the country if he can show that
there is no fraud or effort to evade the
law. The only way to meet that side
of the question is to have the treaty
changed.
At the time the census was taken
the japanese in the country were re-
ported as 24,407 strong, the single ma
tionality nearest to the total of the
Hawaiians. The date of the census was
September 81. Through the politeness
of Mr.. McStocker, of the custom
house, The Star has been enabled to
learn how many japanese have come
in since that date. During this period
of very nearly seven months there
have arrived in the Islands 1919 Japan
ese, and 1858 have returned to their
homes in Japan, leaving a surplus of
1861. Adding these to the census fig
ures, and not counting deaths, which
are comparatively light, and of which,
for the other, islands, there are no re-
liable statistics, there must be today
&c, 16S japanese in the country. This
is an increase of ~ per cent since the
time the census was taken. At such a
rate of increase the japanese will very
soon exceed in numbers any single ma
tionality here.
At the same time that the numbers
were taken, the various occupations
of the Japanese were inquired into. OF
the 24,407 men, women and children,
$4,000 reported themselves as engaged
in various occupations. OF course the
bulk of them are unslilled laborers.
Engaged in this occupation are 11,O42
males and 1926 females, total of
12,56S. This leaves 2002 for other oc-
equations, of which ten are taken cog
nizance of
Among small farmers the Japanese
stand third on the list, showing that
they have taken up land, and are cul-
tivating it for themselves. In this line
the Hawaiians stand first, and the
Chinese come second When we con-
slider that the Japanese have been here
but a short time. that they should
have shot up so rapidly into the posi-
ton of landholders, and in many cases
of land owners, there is much food for
thought.
AS mechanics the japanese stand
fifth on the list, but the numbers of
the various nationalities of mechanics
are so close to one another that a very
small addition to the ranks of Japan
csc mechanics might throw them up
to the second or third place. AS mer-
chants and small traders they come
next to the Chinese, in whose hands
the minor trading of the country has
been for years. They make a good
81, . al
men; they stand second among the
rice planters; they are planting coffee;
a number of them are fishermen, and
they claim seyenty-two professional
men.
1t is not the mere illiterate and I'M
skilled laborer that has to be consid-
cred, it is the property holding AMI
the educated Japanese that must be
thought Of At the present rate of in
crease and with recruits from the
student" class these people will be-
come a very powerful factor in the
politics of the State, and the time will
surely come when a demand will be
made for the franchise. This is the
real danger, That the demand would
be met with a denial goes without say
ing, but we should have a period of
strong agitation as soon as ever the
demand was made. And there is nc
telling how long that demand could DC
withStood. Once granted the Asiati-
cizing of the islands would be certain.
Japan need not fire a shot, need not
send a man-of-war to the. Hawaiian
ports. She can quietly make the con-