The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-09-02
Minister Cooper Promptly
Declines to Consider.
Japanese Matter Remains In Statu
Ouo-Excerpts From the
Correspondence.

| The Japanese-Hawaiian question is
about as far from settlement today as
when the Naniwa dropped anchor in
port and discharged her cargo of coun-
sellor and newspaper correspondents.
The offer of this Government to ar
ically declined by Japan; that is, the
offer has been declined by Japan i'm
posing conditions that made it impos-
sible for this Government to enter into
any agreement to settle the matter by
arbitration.
1t is generally believed that the offer
to arbitrate was made by Minister
Cooper to show the world that this
Government was perfectly willing to
do anything within reason to get the
difficulty Strengthened out. The propo-
sition was made by Minister Cooper on
June 28th. "A few days ago letter
from Count Okuma was received
through Minister Shimamura, stating
the terms on which Japan would agree
to arbitrate. AS near as can be learned,
Count Okuma says that while consider
ing the claims of Japan as perfectly
just, as a matter of cOnciliation his
Government is willing to accept in
principle the proposal to arbitrate. He
suggested, moreover, that in order to
Tighten the labor of the arbitrators an
agreed statement of facts should be
prepared and the arbitration be con-
fined to questions of law. He suggested,
also, that the scope of reference be ex
pressly defined.
Count Okuma stated, also, that his
Government felt the necessity of pro-
posing certain conditions which it
deemed essential to satisfactory ter
mination of the difficulty, and men
toned that H. l. j. MS Government
could not consent that the question of
bona-fide possession of $50 in the hands
of the rejected immigrants, or the ap-
plicabi of the Hawaiian-Japanese
treaty of 1871 to Japanese subjects
other than the merchant class. Count |
Okuma considered these as points of is
sue and suggested that the King of the
Belgians be the sole arbitrator of the |
questions involved.
This is the gist of the letter received |
by this Government, but it sheds very |
little light on the difficulty and vague |
Iy expresses the wishes of the Govern |
ment. To quote the representative of |
a foreign Government: Japan has |
given Hawaii a golden opportunity to
decline to arbitrate, and 1t should |
take advantage of. it," This |
IS probably what the Hawaiian Govern |
ment has done, for, on Tuesday Min |
lister Cooper sent letter TO Minister |
Shimamura to the effect that this Gov |
agrees that it is desirable to /
define the scope of the reference and |
to that end he regretted that the letter |
from Count Okuma did not define the |
questions he would be willing to sub |
nit.
Minister Cooper suggested that, in |
the absence of this, his Government !
could not be expected to answer wheth- |
ar the terms and conditions mentioned |
would be acceptable or not As the |
scope of the reference had not been de- |
he would ask that his Gov
ernment be excused from agreeing at |
he present time upon an arbitrator.
So now. after two months of waiting, |
he matter remains in statu quo. Just |
what steps Japan will take is matter |
Of guess-work. To man up tree it |
ooks as though Minister Cooper with |
the advice and consent of the other /
members of the Cabinet" will stand |
pat; certainly no other propositions |
;an go from this end of the line. It is /
Known in official circles that the Sen /
7tors in Washington wanted this diff /
iculty disposed of before annexation
vas definitely acted upon by the Sen
lte, and it is generally believed that
he arbitration proposition was sub
nitted by this Government after it had