Evening star., 1897-07-27

the event Of annexation "the application OF
United States customs laws to Hawaii
would check the further development OF
japanese trade" But Hawaii without wait
ing for annexation could II she SO desired
adopt today hescustoms laws Of the United
States and apply them to Japanese trade
and all other trade without overstepping
her acknowledged rights as an Independent
power. Japan's protest against a change
In the Hawaiian customs laws through an
nexation involves the claim that these laws
are not to be changed at all without the
consent of Japan. That nation intends to
alter her own customs laws in 1889 and to
increase largely duties upon imports. She
would view as a piece Of impudence the
suggestion Of some other power that she
could not :lter these laws. because of a
resulting interference with that powers
trade. What would be sauce for Japan is
sauce for Hawaii.
Japan further protests against the extern
sion OF the naturalization and navigation
laws Of the United States to Hawaii
through annexation, equally unmindfal of
the fact that the shape those laws shall
take is today a matter exclusively in the
discretion of the Hawaiian government, and
that interference by Japan in such domes-
some. impertinent and unwarrantable
The only reasonable suggestion made by
japan in her protest Is to the effect that
Hawaii, alleged to be liable to her in dam
ages for personal injury, should not be per-
mitted to go out of existence in a fashion
to work an abatement of Japan's cause of
action in the court of international arbitra-
tion. If Hawaii is wrong in her construc-
ton of the treaty. and laws invo1yed in
the immigration controversy and has un-
justifidbly inflicted pecuniary damage upon
Japan. she is not to be permitted to escape
from indemnifyng the injured party by
hiding under the cloak of Uncle Sam. But
This petty dispute will doubtless be arbi-
trated and out of the way before the Senate
votes on Hawaiian annexation at the next
session. And when this liability, whatever
1t may be. something or nothing according
to the view of the arbitrator, has been as
sumed by the United States the last ves-
tise of reasonable foundation for Japans
interference with annexation will be re-
moved.
The complaint that annexation will in
)ur1ously affect the Industrial rights Of the
Japanese in Hawaii means that the great
companies in Japan which traffic in coolie
labor will no longer be able to operate In
the islands The right 10 carry on either
the slave trade or a se:ni-slave trade with
another country is not 1nalienable or ire
vocable. and is. in fact, no right at all.
Hawaii herself is struggling to solve the
local labor problem on other lines than
those of contract coolie labor, and If
Japan's views of her own status in Hawaii
are correct the temporary presence Of sew
eral thousand half-slaves of Japanese ma
tivity in the islands will prevent Hawaii
from ever ceasing to be acce ssory to the
Coolie trade.
The right to traffic in the muscles of its
people is not one upon which the new
Japan can afford to insist. The Japanese
Industrial armies, sold with the consent of
their government into the service of ether
lands If the representative Of the new
Japan Is to be a coolia. he must expect a
coolies treatment, and only coolies
rights and privileges. The future Japan
will doubtless cease to force semi-slayes
upon unwilling peoples. will retain the bulk
OF her laborers at nome to develop rich
Formcsan resources. and will consider it
beneath the national dignity tc permit any
OF her citizens to enter other lands en- the
degraded basis of beasts ot the rield.
The keynote OF tine Japanese reply is
sounded in the sentence: 1.-The sphere of
Japan's expanding activities is in the Pa
cifc. But Japan's sphere is confined to
the Asiatic side of the Pacific, and is not
to be so expanded as to include the Ha-
Waiian Islands.