The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-11-03
JAPANESE To COLON|zE
LANDS IN FLORIDA
Promoter of Scheme on Board the Manchuria.
viii Take Up 5000 Acres for Experiment.
Prince Fushimi's Generosity.

One of the most remarkable incidents
ever recorded in United States imrnf-
grafton annals. official or unofficial, is
associated with the present trip of the
steamship Manchuria from the orient
to the Occident. This is the passage
of the advance guard OF prospective
Japanese colonists for the Atlantic
coast of the United States.
Statistics just published tell of large
immigration of japanese entering at
San Francisco, as we'll as Honolulu, di-
rect from Japan, besides a considerable
migration of Japanese from Honolulu
to San Francisco. Hitherto public dis
cussion of Japanese immigration to the
United States has related to that peo-
pie as a labor element.
Now it would appear that a move
ment of Japanese to coIonize American
soil has begun. AS yet it is but a tiny
f1eck of cloud on the horizon. Yet the
nucleus is there, about which may
gather one of the strangest flying
clouds of humanity that has ever pass
ed from one land to another The pres
emily most striking feature of it is that
the objective point of the Japanese
colonizing scheme should be on the far
side of the North American continent
from Japan, leaving four thousand
miles of diversified landscape between
it and the fertile and genial valleys
of California, close to the nearest en-
trance portals of the country for Jap
anese colonists.
J. Sakai, a through passenger in the
Manchuria. is the pathfinder for his
countrymen in the enterprise here men
toned. He is no stranger to American
soil and his home was once in Homo
lulu Mr.. Sakai was connected with
the business of the Kobe immigration
Co. here. leaving for his native land
about six months prior to annexation.
His education was partly gained in the
United States, as will be seen from his
own statement of his present mission
given to an Advertiser reporter yes
terday.
Il am going to Florida Mr.. sakai
said, where intend to take up six
thousand acres OF land. Upon this land
L will conduct experiments in the Gull
tivatiorl of fruits. just the same as
what is being done in Hawaii.
sHThere are seven men with me on
/.
follow in the steamer Korea, all Of
whorn will assist me in the expert
ments.
Il have already investigated the sys-
tenn of rice cultivation in Texas, and
found it would never succeed in Japan
under present conditions. 1t requires
modern machinery for its operation.
which would call for a great deal of
capital to introduce in Japan. Owing
to the war there is a scarcity of CAPT
tai now Besides the Japanese are
brought up to their own mode of rice
cultivation from childhood, therefore
they would not take kindly to
the innovation of machinery. Though
we can hold our home market for rice,
we cannot compete abroad with the
Texas product
Mr.. sakai was asked if the scheme
he had in hand was the establishing of.
an experiment station in Florida for
the purpose of carrying back home to
Japan the knowledge and experience
there gained.
''No,'' was the answer. I'VE expect
that hundreds of people will come out
from Japan to settle on the lana in.
Florida. year after year, after we have
demonstrated the probability of sue
cess by our experimenting. You know
the population of Japan is too crowded