The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-05-15

FROM
H|L0
Japanese Paper on
Anti-Asiatic
Move.

gration-A Suggestion" the japan Ga
zette says:
Japan is evidently quite aware of
the most effective means Of mitigating
her immediate emigration difficulties.
As we have had occasion to point out,
the objection to Japanese immigrants.
as manifested both by British and
Americans. is distinctly local and not
federal, and therefore, Jnpans obvious
policy In the face Of local opposition
Is to address herself automatically to
the federal Governments themselves.
Now 1t is announced that that course
was taken in the case Of Australia. and
that already compromise has been
made in regard to Japanese immigrants
to Thursday Island. Here the Japan
ese divers are specially useful, and 1t
has been arranged that a restricted
number shall be admitted, to remain
under control OF the British residents.
These immigrants according to Japan
csc papers. will come chiefly from Wa
kayama-ken.
At the same time 1t Is we'll to notice
that the agitation against Japanese
immigrants in the Hawaiian Islands
is. IL anything, increasing. A large
movement was organized this month
at Hilo, and at meeting the follow
ing resolution was passed.
Believing that the interests OF Hilo
will be best served by encouraging
American citizens to be identified with
the progress Of this section of the
Territory of Hawaii, the undersigned,
chairmen of committees representing
262 mechanics, citizens of the United
States, engaged in structural contract
n nd hn ri trod
with this proposed organization. do
hereby agree that We will employ only
citizen labor; that we will work only
by the side of citizen labor; that we will
not finish. nor contract to finish, any
work begun by aliens and that in all
cases where aliens are in competition
with American citizens we will give
preference to the latter in all of our
personal dealings"
This significant declaration was
adopted and signed by the chairmen
of committees representing eighteen
trades, of which there are two hundred
and sixty-two workers in Hilo who
contend that they are injured by being
thrown in competition with aliens,
principally Japanese.
Hilo may be n comparatively small
place but the fact of this organized
opposition Is n strong hint to the Jap
anese Government. There is no doubt
that Japan needs an outlet for her
surplus population, but why force 1t
where 1t is not wanted? There are
plenty OF directions where the Japanese
could COLOMBO successfully. Korea
presents n good field. Formosa itself
affords excellent opportunities. there
are China, Siam, the Dutch Indo-
Netherlands, Borneo and many other
regions bordering on the Pacific, ex-
plotted by the Chinese, but left prac-
tically alone by the Japanese The
reason is not altogether obscure.
There is a tendency in the Anglo Saxon
races to strike out as pioneers, to
seek new fields and create new centers
of industry. The tendency, so far.
among the japanese Is to go along the
lines of former pioheers. to avail them
selves of the benefits of an established
civilization and to claim an equality Of
treatment under state of things
which they took no part in creating
and to which they do not propose to
make permanent contribution. AS,
added to this, they underbid local Ia
bor 1t cannot be wondered at that they
have met considerable difficulty in this
policy While the Government may be
able to effect some modification in the
local sentiment prevailing against Jap
anese immigrants, 1t would be opti-
mistic to expect that 1t could complete
ly change that sentiment. Nor is 1t
to be expected that any Federal Gov
eminent could absolutely run counter
to the unmistakable sentiments of it's
Therefore. although it Is
true that the only hope OF Japan in
notifications of anti-Japanese
sentiment abroad rests upon the sue
cess of diplomatic effort, still it is evil
dent that such notifications must
in the nature of the case
be only limited. The plain deduction
Is that Japan should endeavor to divert
the stream of her Immigration 1t may
be well to assert her rights on behalf
o. Japanese who are already estab
iished in places where they have he-
come unwelcome, nut the main pur-
pose obviously should be to discourage
further emigration to such places.
Dnd, per contra, to promote and en-
In every way emigration to
other shores less lnhospitable perhaps
and likely to be in the long run even
more valuable If permanently colon
lied. These are merely suggestions;
but IL seems useless and wasteful for
Japan to try to force her labor where
It Is not wanted. locally. and might
cad to wider complications, especially
whenthere are other fields of labor
which would in time become of ines
Unable value. Writers have compared
Japan TO England. Englands prestige
.o-day Is largely due to that natural
disposition Of her sons to strike out
'or themselves. to go abroad to some
incivllized spot on the worlds surface
md there help to build up the Empire.
These pioneers were little known. They
lived their lives, established law and
order and died unnoted. Englishmen
o-day are carrying on the same work
n out-of-the-way parts of the world.