The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-07-23
MINISTER GOOpER'S EFFORTS
Letters From Count Oku.
ma and the Replies.
No Claim Made BY Japan-Asks Re-
coghition of Principles of Indem-
nifIcatlon-Offer to Arbitrate.

For several weeks past items of news |
bearing on the Japan-Hawaii difficulty |
have appeared in San Francisco papers
and purporting TO come from officials at
Washington. The fact that the press of
Honolulu has been denied information by
the Foreign Office here has made the APP
pearance of these items in the foreign
press the more aggravating TO the pubic
generally and the reporters particularly.
1t has been mooted for some time that
II has been the intention of Minister
Cooper TO make public all matters con-
nected with the case, and that he has
been waiting for a communication from
Washington before doing so. This com
munication was expected by the Aus
+ralia. but it failed TO arrive, and the
Minister concluded TO wait the arrival OF
the Moana. His plans were evidently
changed again on reading the newspa-
nar item concerning this Governments
offer 10 arbitrate, for yesterday morning
he notified the press to meet him IN ms
Office at II o'clock. As preface MINIS
ter Cooper said;
1.-The correspondence opened with a
,,rotest from H / ]. Ms Minister Kesl-
dent Shimamura at the action OF the ma
Zraiian Government in rejecting certain
Immigrants who came by the Shihsilu
NIaru. In fact, almost the ehtIe 0U ..tIes
snopdence," continued the Minister, mas
basu carried on with reference 10 TINS
particular ship, although the olhel
Steamers have been mentioned incident
ally. as the facts are the same III tHs
three cases.
..NTiris+ar Shimamuras official protest
- ~ me ON March 10Th, and occurred
INCH the captain of the Shinshlu
49, notifying him that the immigrant :
We're 10 be taken back on ms snip. me
Minister based his protest upon Sie -,
nuIaTion in the treaty between lhe W.
Ponntries. After a preliminary CORE
yordanre l replied TO his protest py
letter dated April "a.
~ mis- 7 announced the position OF the
Government and gave him the [eas si,iI;
nv the immigrants by the ShIilslIII !,
w "a SaLllra Maru were not allowed
Lana If YOU will remember, these I'M
migrants were of three classsS5 a,itF
tbose who had contracts IN "rlulS, W. -
~ immigration companies, LOT iao9L -
this country anu "HO
their possession.
.caoord. Those who had MEMORANDUM
of agreement with the Kobe inning at 9 o
ComDany. the Hiroshima 1ilIn!SLa ~
Company, or the Morloha
Company. ,...,+ .,
.sTbird: Those who came indepehent VI
sny immigration company.
..As m the first class" said Minister
r,,oDar .snreyious TO the arrlNal Oh t4'
Sbinshiu Maru, w. J. Gallagher " ~ ~
reDresented himself as being as s-t,a' -
with the Kobe Immigration Solip t,tI+s
called here and stated that the us ,4d
Drnceedure had not been compiled WIN
End asked that the immigrants mlsn
land This request was Denied pecdu9 7
~ we're not coming under the Fud'
- for in Section l of Act %
- The laws of the Provisional Govern
mant- When the steamer arrived, II wa
found impossible TO make a proper nv
+igation on the steamer 50 tiS g.
gTants were landed at Quarantine sta
1T was then found that l46 immigra an L !;
Rod contracts, to perform labor IN TINS
country. which had been executed pre-
lions to their leaving Japan. 1t also ap
peared that the passage OF these Illiii -
grants had been prepaid by tne eoli ipp-
snd that they were entirely without
funds. .z ,,,,5;ro he
oaIIsa their contracts had not been ap-
,1roI-ed nv the Board of Immigration VI
The entire number of immigrants put 8
were permitted 20 land Tor the reason
of their having approved cohtI
LAS to those of the second class, there
were Az immigrants on board VINO Were
IN POSSESSION OF so each, but denied the
right TO land for the reason that tneS
had been recruited by the imm gratloL
r0r1panies with whom they had MADE
Recommendation of agreement, winch
among other matters, contained GOV
aDart on behalf of the immigration com
panies, through their managers, t 4s.
they would secure employment LOT th'
emfgrants on their arrival in TINS couh
try. The ruling on this point was 10 IN
erect that it was an unlawful underlah
ing on behalf of the immigration com
panies, and also the immigrants, as De
ing contrary to the provisions OF Secuoi
of Act II, Laws of 1870. Exceptions
were. of course, made 10 those who hat
been here before and to females having
relatives here.
aAs 10 the third class, those who cam'
independently of any company and pos
sessed the necessary quahncauons u
land were permitted 10 do so AS 10 I'M
Sakura Maru, there were lbS VINO pos
sessed memorandas of agreement VIII
the Morioka immigration Company sim
liar to those who came by the Shlnsml
Maru and the same ruling was made anc
the same exceptions to the rule me
policy of this Government has continued
on lines heretofore set forth to represen
tatiyes of your Government
Il called attention to dispatch to MIN
lister Shimamura's predecessor, Mr. Shl
miZu, in which il was said that this GOV
eminent feels at liberty at all times L
limit or suspend immigration, especially
that conducted Dy private parties I'M:
was not done on account of prejudice
against japanese subjects, but in pur
suance of a desire on the part of thi:
Government to control the influx of i'm
migrants who were to be employed a;
laborers.
"A few days later, April 6th, think
Minister Shimamura replied, and aftel
expressing the usual Fluctuations, said
that:
In Japan's dealings with Hawaii
small as il is has been and will continue
to be of that high order of conduct and
courtesy with which it deals with the
more powerful nations Further along
the Minister stated that the matter would
have to be submitted to his Government
for determination, but he continued tC
point to what he believed was violation
of the treaty, for he said: Referring to
the immigrants of the first class. AL
though they may not have complied tech