The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-02-12
EMIGRATION MAY
Be ENDANGERED

Hon. IL. w. Twin, TOT mhny lt"r
Hawaiian Minister to japan, is a
through passenger on the Korea for
his home In Yokohama. His interests
are almost entirely in the land Of the
crysanthemum, his visit to the main
land being for the purpose Of seeing
his children who are mt school in an
Eastern city. He has been away from
Japan for three months and knows moth
ing of the Japanese question from the
view point of the Japanese.
~ have no idea how the matter will
be settled" he said yesterday in re-
ply to question by representative
of the Advertiser. ~ left home before
it arose and while l hope they can
save the emigration / have doubts about
| it. l do not consider that the Japa-
nese have been fairly treated in the
States. There is a strong feeling
against them and it is not confined to
the laboring class. 1t extends to all
classes in California and into the mid
die west. In New England and in some
of the Middle States. where they know
nothing about it, they are Indifferent
as to how it will end but in the west
there is strong anti-Japanese feel
ing.
81 would dislike to see strained re-
lations between the United States and
Japan; it would be serious to Hawaii
only in the matter of labor, and it
will be well if it can be peacefully
and pleasantly settled so that you may
still have your labor supply unhamper-
ed. 1t all rests with President Roose
welt, who is diplomatic, adroit and
clever. If he can straighten it out
without severing the peaceful relations
now existing between the two coun-
tries l will be pleased. But, as l have
said, the United States has not been
giving the Japanese fair treatment;
it does not give 1t to any Of the aliens,
even though it may be, as you suggest,
'the land of the free and the home of
the brave But it ism It. For hun
dred years 1t has been calling the
people of all South America 'dagoes
and the Mexicans have lived in the
United States known only as 'greasers.
Now what is the condition. Secre
tary Root goes down there and asks
for their trade. OF course the people
of the United States say they do not
discriminate, they simply provide sep
arate districts in which people of diff
ferent nationalities are expected to re-
side and separate schools in which they
are to educate their children. They
do not discriminate against foreigners
any more than the South discrimihates
against the negroes when they provide
separate schools and separate restau-
rants and separate cars for them. But
the impression that there is discrimin
alton exists only in the minds of the
foreigners and the negroes" -
As the representative of Hawaii dur
ing the monarchy MIR. Irwin was for
several years charged with the duty of
providing japanese labor for the plan
tations in the islands. In the capacity
of labor agent it is said he amassed
a large fortune. His home in Yoko-
hama is one of opulence and dignity.
| He is married and is the father of
an interesting family. He is brother
of the late Admiral Irwin, U. S. N,
and bears striking likeness to him.
He is also great grandson of Ben
jamin Franklin. He has many friends
here and was busy greeting then dur
ing his short sojourn in the city. In
the afternoon he visited the Honolulu
Iron Works on private business.