The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-02-24
FORMER HAWAIIAN ENVOY
R. W. IRWIN SAYS NO WAR
Friend of Elder Statement Insists That Japanese
Do Not Want Philippines and
Will Do Fair Thing

know that the Government at Toxic
doesn't wish any quarrel And tn,
japanese N1ikado and his cabinet ar,
fully aware that the President of the
United States is their friend.
FIFTY YEARS WORK AHEAD.
why should there be any trouble
/ between this country and Japan?
have discussed the various questions
at issue with Katsura, Inouye, Ito and
Yamagata, and I know their position
They do not wish to go to war with
Ianybody-least of all the United States
They have work cut out for them
which requires at least fifty years of
peace. They have ahead of them the
development of Korea, southern Man
churia, and the rich island of Formosa.
1t will take at least half a century to
| accomplish what they have in pros
:. pect, and war would upset all these
plans.
But last of all would they rush into
a fight with the United States. They
look upon this country as their first
friend. They may make political trea-
ties with other countries, but to none
will they be drawn closer than they
are to America.
Their latest loan indicates this. Tt
was borrowed in England-their ally
| by treaty-but they spent it in Amer
iea--in Pittsburg and Philadelphia, too.
There was an awful howl from the
English. I know that they pointed out
to the Japanese that they could have
spent their money just as well in Eng
lish markets, and gave them to I'M
derstand that in the future there
would be no loans unless this was
done. That hasn't been so long ago.
Does it not seem silly to talk of war
when this sort Of thing occurs?
There really isn't any question
which could cause war. Take the
immigration matter. The japanese gen
orally are not crazy to come to this
country. They are very homely peo-
ple-would rather stay at their own
tresides, humble though they may be,
than go out into new country. Of
course there are some, as there are in
all nationalities, who have the adven-
turous spirit. These are the ones who
have come here. But, after all, there
are not SO many. Thirty five thousand
IN all are on American territory, and
the great majority are in Hawaii.
is a mistake to think that Japan
has q great surplus population, for
which provision must be made abroad
The economic conditions are such that
it can maintain twice it's present popu-
lation. So you can easily see that
the Japanese statesmen are not sitting
up at nights worrying about where
they viii stow away their people, as
Is popularity supposed here. /
The only difficulty standing in the
way of the settlement of the immigra-
tion question is one under our own con-
troll. As it stands at present America
is willing that the japanese shall go to
Hawaii, but it doesn It want them to
come to the mainland Labor objects to
their entrance here, but the interests of
Hawaii demand that they be permitted
to go there. The workingman saws that
if they come to America all sorts of
damage will be done, but it is fact
that if they are barred out of Hawaii
the effect upon those rich islands will
be ruinous.
Now, it is merely for us to make up
our minds as to what we want to do If
the President says they must be exclud
ed altogether, that will be done. But, if
he says they can enter Hawaii, the
japanese government will not be able !
to guard against their eventual en- |
trance here.
"But no matter what decision is
reached, the japanese government, am
certain, viii do its best to carry it into
effect. They don It want to make
treaty-you an easily see why-but !
they win see that the wishes of this
country are followed just the same
Could we justly demand more?
DON'T WANT PHILIPPINES.
Now as to the Philippines. Tt
makes me laugh to read the dispatches
concerning the designs which Japan
has on those islands First of all. she
recognizes that the United States would
not give them up while she had drop
of blood or a cent of money. and sec
ondly they are of no use to her.
"Toward the close of the life of
President Mckinley ] heard him de
liver an address at the Union Iron
Works, San Francisco at the launch
ing of one of our great battleships.
Speaking of the Philippines, he said
that we had obtained them by con
quest, by purchase and by treaty and
that they must remain part of the ma
tion IS territory, forever.
Later, I repeated this in converse
ton with Katsura. Ito, Yamagata, mo