Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-05-19

able TO make her gruIEbliIIgs tell for
the simple reason that the nation has
treated the Asiatic unjustly in denying
him the means 10 refute ali these
charges by growing into fine public
spirited American citizen. Look at
Massachusetts with 20O0 acres OF her
valleys and uplands owned by people
with unpronounceable European names
whose habits are dirt plus industry.
These people, however, can become
citizens and in few years by proving
their honest Americanism, not only
knock hostile argument TO flinders,
but win the friendship or their former
detractors.
Then, too, many Californians really
believe three things about japanese:
First, that they will never become
Americans if given the chance; sec
ond, that If any of them should be-
come naturaliZed, they are SO patriotic
that they never would be loyal to their
new government but in an emergency
would turn traitors; and third, that
they are utterly unassimilable and
must always remain un-American.
Mark these are all priori argu-
ments. They exist like old fashioned
theological dogmas only in the mind.
There is not one ScintiIla of evidence
to back them up. TO say to hun
gry-eyed boy, you won't eat this choc-
olate cream If | give it to you. and
then go on munching it yourself is
poor logic Try the Japanese with the
~ izaf
whether he will take it. In some conf
munities more liberal than California
here and there Japanese has been
naturalized. | know or cases where
Japanese would give anything to be-
come Americans because they have
fully identified themselves with the
country. So far as experience goes,
this first plea that Japanese will under
no circumstances consent to American
citizenship is untrue.
Urged Japanese Citizenship.
'As for the second argument, listen
to the delegate of the National party
sent to investigate conditions in Cali
fornia, Hon. A. Hattori, who passed
through Honolulu last week and part
of whose address was printed on
Tuesday. The most significant por-
ton was not published. Advising his
countrymen in Hawaii to secure
American citizenship if possible, he
said: Some Japanese think this
would be disloyalty to Japan and that
they would sacrifice their national
individuality by becoming American
citizens. On the contrary they
would enlarge their national individ-
uality, becoming in effect world citi-
zens, This need not interfere with
loyalty to ones mother country. Mr..
Carnegie in becoming an American
citizen does not lose his loyalty to
Scotland. Did he not give to Scot
land the most magnificent of all the
libraries he has endowed? Indeed by
loyalty to his mother country does
not a man prove his fitness for citl-
zenship in a new country? But IN
case of war, what? What would
be the duty of loyal Japanese in
case of war between America and
japan? Let me answer this by an
Illustration from our own history.
The retainer of Daimyo became the
adopted son of the Daimyo OF an
other province by marrying into his
family, and according to custom as
sumed allegiance to the new lord.
Later on war arose between the two
clans. The young Samurai was in a
uuandary. How could he take up
arms against his former lord? How
fight his own father? Yet, on the
other hand how could he be untrue
to his new lord? He fought 1t out
thus: TO be untrue to my new lord
would be an act of treachery un-
worthy of the respect and name OF
nv former master. | will flight for
my present chief and by my valor
add to the glory of the Daimyo VINO
trained me in the principles of the
samurai. Japan has ever applauded
that hero as true to the spirit OF
Bushido.'
THAT was a splendid refutation,
here in Honolulu, of this baseless
charge against Japanese honor, that
we cannot trust the loyalty OF any
of these people who decide to become
American citizens. Those of us who
have proved the mettle of that honor
know how false to Yamato-damashii,
the spirit OF Japan, any such argu-
ment is.
"As for assimiability, We who have
lived in the eastern states nave
heard this wornout plea with refer
ence to almost every south European
The Japanese is just as
human as any other kind of man and
after years of study of him VIII
back him for adaptability to condi-
tions and harmonious response to en-
yironment with any racial specimen
of genus homo produceable. In my
his forte par excellence is
to land on his feet in any emergency.
That he cannot and will not make
a good American is all moonshine,
and not the Kentucky mountain
brand either.
1T is singular how this entire
question revolves about that newt
aule privilege of naturalization.
Governor Johnson is right. The Cali
fornia law is not at fault, though
the motive for it may be. Other
hoxo bo Sauna law Aliens