The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-28
JAPANESE FLOURISH
IN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
Their People May Secure the Political Control Of
the Territory

Washington, June Elm addition to
the negro problem in the South and the
Moro problem in the Philippines. the
United States will soon have a Japa-
nese problem in the Hawaiian Islands.
According to report on labor con-
ditions in the Hawaiian Islands just
made by Commissioner of Labor Car
roll D. Wright. the Japanese element
in the islands is multiplying so rapid
ly that in a few years, comparatively
speaking, the Hawaiian born Japanese
American citizens of the islands will
outnumber the citizens of other races,
and will be able to control the politics
of the territory.
The present population of the islands
is slightly over 10000, and majority
of the inhabitants are Asiatics. In 1900
the census showed that 80. IS per cent
of the inhabitants were Japanese, AS
per cent. We're Hawaiians, and per-
sons with an adnixture of Hawaiian
blood, 1872 per cent. were Caucas-
fans. and 1878 per cent. We're Chinese.
AS the death rate among the Hawaiians
is in excess of the birth rate the peo-
pie of that race are gradually dying
out.
The application of the Chinese exclu-
sion law to Hawaii is resulting in a de-
crease in the number of Chinese in the
islands. The Caucasians and the Jap
anese are increasing, but the increase
of the Japanese population is going on
at much more rapid rate than that of
the Caucasians. The fundamental rea-
son for this is that the sugar planters
of the islands demand a large supply
Of cheap labor. 1t is almost impossible
10 get white American workmen to do
the work on sugar plantations at any
wages. The experiments of introducing
negro laborers from the Southern states
OF the United States and workmen
from the island of Porto Rico were
practically failures.
In all about 5000 Porto Ricans were
carried TO the Hawaiian Islands. The
men were very poor specimens physi-
caliy. Many of them were taken to
the hospitals almost as soon as they
arrived, and the death rate among
them was large. They did not know
how 10 take care of themselves and
had TO be taught how to live in their
new surroundings They were morally
upset by their long travels and changed
environment and found 1t difficult to
acquire the new habits of life neces-
sary to their new conditions So a con-
vagabonds, and, whenever possible,
fiocked into the towns. There was
much complaint about them by the
people in Hawaii, as they were not
personally friendly and were also I'M
popular on account of the number of
criminals Who accompanied them. Be
fore their arrival doors and windows
of private residences in the islands
were seldom locked. and property could
be left about uncared for with per-
feet security. Despite their small num-
Der relative to the entire population,
they have contributed a large proper
ton to the inmates of the prisons in
the islands.
Comparatively few Southern negroes
have been taken to the islands. It was
found that the men would not stay on
the plantations, but drifted into the
towns, where they found employment
There were also strong social reasons
for not taking negroes to the islands.
The color line between the Hawaiians
and the Caucasians has been very
loosely drawn. The schools, churches
and society Of Hawaii are open 70 both
alike and many of the leading Ameri-
can ana European residents have in
termarried with the natives, who are
not racially allied with the negro,
though approaching him in color. Thus
Tor political and social reasons Hawaii
public sentiment considers II undesf-
able that an element be added 20 the
population that would be certain in
time 10 disturb the existing happy con-
citlons and 10 create or emphasize pref
udioe which are thought 10 be unnee-
cessary at this time
80 IL has come about that the Ha-
wniian planters have been compelled
20 look principally 10 Japan FOR their
labor supply, and the Japanese are Ro-
me into the islands % constantly in-
fffasinE numbers. The Japanese had
~ nrst The same tendency that fhe
nlnfsf have shown 90 remain for q
tsN years anq then return bono wlfh
~ money rlRf they he'd saved. M
Az ssaft, however. fney exhibit more