The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-07-21

Office making pronounced demand
for a privaic examination. and this
was accorded him on the following
day.
Minister Cooper in the same com
munication to Count Okuma explained
that the men were taken from the
ship to prevent a hardship on them.
He also said that it was true that Hl-
waii was Instrumental in fostering
Japanese Immigration under specific
understanding more fully set forth in
the convention of 1886, but in no in
stance has Hawaii ever endeavored TO
secure a colonization of japanese inn
migrants in this country and has ever
claimed the right to suspend the right
of immigration when conducted by
private parties.
There have been no reversal of any
precedents. ne added. The Government
had tried 10 prevent it heretofore. The
Minister SAYS that two japanese imm
grafton companies had informed him
of the illegal importation of Japanese
into Hawaii and that they had offered
to put up a heavy bond to make legal
importations if given the exclusive
right.
On June 4th Minister Shimamura
forwarded 70 the Interior Office
bulky document that has since heen
referred to as the "7S-page letter" In
it he asks for an explanation as TO
why the japanese who arrived in a
steamer on February 10th were not re-
leased at the expiration of the quaran-
tine period. but were detained until
March 10th. He demands to know
why Kinney O. Ballou were not recog-
nized as the advocates of the immi-
grants, and why he (Shimamura) was
denied the right TO personally and pri-
vately interview the immigrants. The
document discusses the decision of the
Supreme Court in the habeas corpus
cases, and sets up the claim that the
immigrants. having come within the
territory of Hawaii, were within juris-
diction Of her courts as much as one
of her : ;. ems. The thread that runs
through Che whole letter is found in
the following sentence: 81 do not
mean at all to enter into discussion
of the methods or decision of the GUS
toms authorities, or whether it is
final"
Reference is made to the Toru Maru
habeas corpus case in November, 1896,
when Chief Justice Judd alone de.
cided the qualifications of an alien to
land, and the claim is made that the
Government is inconsistent. The
charge of capricousness is backed by
the claim that women who have rela-
! tives in this country have been per-
mitted to land, even though they did
not possess the necessary qualifica-
tions. Further cause for complaint s
found in the claim that the immi-
grants above referred to were not in
]
but were put back on the steamer by
'cheat and menace" Such charges,
the Minister adds, however, he is not
prepared to hear, as they are beyond
belief.
Right here comes1 what Minister
Cooper regards as the most important
admission on the part of Japan's rep
resentative. He wants to know why
this Government, having friendly
relations with Japan, had not taken
the trouble to inform the Japanese
Government in regard to its change
of policy and new Interpretation Of
act II, that the Imperial Governme 1T
might have taken pains to put a stop
to immigration.
In closing Minister Shimamura adds
that the affair is most serious, as il
has to deal with the most ignominiOrs
treatment of japanese subjects both
in connection with the treaty and t'le
landing laws of the republic, and tn At
the Japanese Government will not stop
short of receiving "A most satisfacto y
answer.
The intimation that tine Hawaiian
/ Government had no right to go BE-
hind the possession of $50 by each
immigrant is met by Minister Cooper
with the reply that in law posses
sion" and Ownership are not syn
onymous terms.
Minister Cooper says in a letter Of
june %: 1T became very apparent
that the guarantee of the immi .tra-
tion companies that they would 10
. everything do secure labor for imIli-
grants could not be carried out, as IT
was well known to the Executive That
plantation managers had all the help
necessary through proper channels,