The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1897-05-25
PRICE FIVE CENTS.

ton laws are a reasonable exercise OF
the police power OF the State and that
the administration had impartially en-
forced them. For this reason, the Ha-
waiian Government considers that the
principal in indemnity cases does not
apply.
Another paragraph of Minister
Cooper's answer states that if in the
future there should be any infraction
of the present immigration laws by
Japanese immigrants, like action
will follow
MY Government tells me to get
reasonable excuse for the action taken.
I cannot find it in this. l do not think
that my Government is acting arbit-
rarily in this, a matter which involves
the honor of nation. Japan asks
nothing unreasonable, nothing unjust.
Japan is acting according to the law
of nations. She is not dealing with the
Board of Health, the Custom House or
the quarantine officers; the case is one
of nation with nation. The United
States has been advised of the affair.
and probably knows the status of the
case as well as we, and If the Govern
ment at Washington believes that the
position taken by Japan is right, ac-
cording to international law, there
will be no interference On the other
hand, if our position is arbitrary, any
nation may interfere.
'In Japan's attitude toward Hawaii,
it is not an exhibition of the power of
the strong over the weak! Hawaii is
a sovereign State and stands among
nations the same as England or Japan
or any sovereignty; there can be no
difference"
Replying to a question regarding the
possibility of the matter being left to
arbitration in the event that no salts
factory answer could be obtained and
no agreement arrived at, the Minister
said:
I'm small affairs arbitration may be
allowed, but never where the honor of
where cases in international law are
tried-the only tribunal is the strong
arm and the strong vessels-honor is
too sacred a thing to any nation to. be
played with by courts of arbitration.
"Here is the situation: To further
the interests of the chief industry of
the Hawaiian Islands, Japanese i'm
migration is invited; treaty or con-
vention between the two Governments
is enterd into and the Japanese labor
seek the treaty, nor did she seek the
territory for her subjects-they. came
upon invitation. Then Hawaii discov-
ers that the Japanese are competitors,
and a law is passed to restrict the
immigration. Japan is quite satisfied,
and, in order that there can be no
Misunderstanding, investigates the
status Of every emigrant leaving her
shores. Every emigrant who left oko-
hama for Honolulu did so according
to the laws of the Republic-Japan was
satisfied of this before they left. Each
free laborer had the amount of money
required, and was eligible to land, but
the authorities here said MOI
IF it was found that more laborers
were coming to Hawaii than the de-
mand called for, / am quite sure that
an intimation of the fact from the Ex-
ecutive to my Government would
have had the proper consideration.
But there was none sent, and without
the men and women were returned.
At this stage of the proceedings the
emigration matter cuts a very small
figure-the honor of Japan is at stake,
and an explanation must be had.
Japan understands that there is a