The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-06-28
THE JAPANESE PROTEST
Against the Annexation Of Hawaii
by Uncle Sam,
FEARS VIOLATION OF TREATY.


Would Rob Japanese In Hawaii oi
Rights Now Secured to Thom.
Washington, June 2S.-The Japa.
nese position on the annexation of Ha-
waii by the United States has been
made known from a very high source
The Japanese base their opposition OF
annexation almost entirely upon the
ground that il is an interference with
the treaty rights of Japan, and com.
plain especially that the treaty was
negotiated in the face OF the most
friendly protestations from Japan and
at time when the Japanese authori-
ties had been led to believe that nc
such treaty would be undertaken.
The following may be accepted as an
absolutely accurate outline of the posi-
tiOn of the Japanese legation in Wash
lngton:
The Japanese insist, as on all former
occasions, that the Japanese govern
ment has not now, and never has had,
any designs against Hawaii This they
consider a most important point be-
cause of the talk about colonization,
which they say has apparently had so
much weight in the discussion of the
question.
They contend that the Japanese first
went to Hawaii in response to the de-
mand for labor in the islands, under
provisions of a treaty concluded in 1886
at the solicitation of the Hawaiian
government. They call attention to the
fact that the Japanese government has
always been averse to having their
people go abroad as coolies" as the
Chinese do, and that the government
has always striven to prevent such inn
migration. As a consequence the Ha-
waiian treaty was so worded as to
prevent even the suspicion of anything
like coolie labor, The interests of all
parties were, they say, protected, and
as a consequence the Hawaiian plant
ers secured a high class of agricultural
labor upon fair terms and under cir
cumstances that did not give the least
occasion for the dislike and opprobrium
which generally attach to contract
labor. This treaty, they say, worked
admirably for years, and until the
planters became restive under the con-
ditions imposed by the treaty, think
ing, the Japanese hold, that they could
secure labor more cheaply with the re-
strictlons removed.
annexation came up, and the adherents
of union with the United States thought
It would be necessary to make changes
in the method of obtaining the labor
absolutely necessary to the prosperity
of the sugar industry of the islands.
This was, they claim, the origin of the
so-called voluntary" system Of immi-
grafton to Hawaii.
o 4
to the framing by the Japanese gov
ernment of it's emigration law. This
law is very strict in prohibiting the
expectation of Japanese except where
employment is assured, and it is
claimed that under its provisions 1t
would be impossible to flood the Ha-
waiian Islands, as has been asserted
to he the Japanese purpose, without
the connivance of the Japanese au-
thorities. This, they hold, could not be
secured in view of the policy of Jap
anese against the expectation of coolie
labor, and in view of the repeated de-
malls of Japanese Of any designs upon
Hawaii
They assert that Hawaii took no
steps to restrict immigration from
Japan until last February, when a
sudden and suspicious demand was
made upon Japan to this end. This,
they claim, is evidence sufficient that
there was no flooding of the island.
They regarded this demand from the
island government as capricious, and
concluded that it was made for the
purpose of increasing the agitation in
the direction Of annexation and to
furnish pretext for speedy action in
that direction. To the same end they
consider the cry of danger from Ha-
waii on account of Japanese aggTeS-
sion to have been raised They hoot
the idea that this fear had any founda-
ton of fact, and say that the danger
existed only in the minds of the zeal
Gus advocates of annexation.
In view of the explanations on their
part to the United States they COM
plain of the suddenness of the an
nouncement of the Hawaiian treaty of
annexation, and say that the treaty
was consummated when they had
reason, from official assurances, for be-
lieVing that nS hasty action in that di-
reetion was contemplated. They con-
slider that many subjects of Japanese
are entitled to damages on account
Of Hawaiis summary refusal to per
NIT them to land, and that they are de-
prlved of their remedy by the consum-
nation of this treaty On this account
they are inclined to regard action as
unjust and arbitrary.
They also hold that Japan has rights
under treaties with Hawaii, other than
those detailed, including reciprocal inn
munities which they fear may not be
renewed if Hawaii becomes part of the
I'm ed States.
The Grandest Remedy.