Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-09-11
HONOLULU PEOPLE
LOYAL 1O ]. 5.
Secretary Straus Returns From
Visit to Island Colony in
the Pacific
BETTER
Secretary Promises Islanders to Sc
cure More Frequent Stops by ves-
sells - straus Warns orientals to Be
Careful Not to Exploit in Favor of
Own Countries.

Washington, Sent 1.-THE visit of
Secretary Straus to the Pacific coast
including the Hawaiian Islands, has
been a most enjoyable one, and is
likely to lead to practical results. a
firm believer in the idea that the vast
interests entrusted to his safe-keeping
could not be entirely administered
from his desk in Washington, the sec
retary determined to make personal
inspection of the workings of the de-
partment away from the capital. and
to become personally acquainted with
the various officials having super
vision. He accordingly planned a
trip along the Canadian border to
Vancouver, and thence south thru Sc
attle and Portland to San Francisco,
with Honolulu as the ultimate destln-
alton. He returned to Washington
today, and talked freely about his ex-
periences. especially those in the aa-
waiian Islands.
Secretary Straus made several no.
table addresses while at Honolulu
one at banquet given in his honor by
Mr. Hatch, and at a dinner gwen py
the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce.
the policy of the government IN 5rela-
ton to the islands was touched upon,
On the latter occasion one OF the
largest and most representative bodies
of business men ever gathered in Hon
olulu assembled to present the COM
mercial needs of the islands. L. A.
Thurston, speaking in behalf OF the
merchants and planters, described
certain commercial disadvantages re-
sulting from annexation, laying par
ticular stress upon the necessity for a
modification Of the coastWise shipping
laws applying to the islands. which
penalize the carrying of passengers ana
freight between the territory and the
mainland of the United States in 9th
er than American bottoms. Owing to
the infrequency with which vessels of
that description stop at Honolulu, MI
Thurston declared that large quantities
of fruit rot upon the Wharves Whlle
awaiting shipment, and that the same
lack of transportation facilities acts as
a peculiar hardship upon residents OF
the territory who were often obl1ged'
as a result of illness or pressing flnan-
cial matters, to leave for the United
States on vessel of foreign registry
and thereby incur the fine of 5000
which our navigation laws impose.
Replying to this address Secretary
Straus assured the islanders that he
would endeavor to have existing griev-
ances remedied.
On another occasion the secretary
was waited upon by delegation OF
Japanese editors, representing the
four Japanese newspapers of Honolulu,
who called to ascertain his views re-
garding Japanese matters in the ter
ritory and as to his policy with ref
erence to Japanese immigration, par
ticularly if he believed that the pre-
ponderance Of Japanese in Hawaii was
inimical to the future welfare of the
islands. In reply the secretary said:
can ideal condition for the future
welfare of these islands would be that
there should not be too great pre-
ponderance of any race, but that an
equilibrium be maintained. I would
impress upon you, and upon each of
the several races here, to have care
not to exploit these islands and their
resources for the benefit Of the coun-
try from which they came, but to act
in the spirit of the government un-
der which they live; of loyalty to the
interests Of the islands which afford
such happy and ideal homes for them
and for their children
These remarks, which were reported
in all of the newspapers-America
Japanese and Chinese, met with an
enthusiastic reception.