The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-07-30
Dusting off The Old FLAG

INDICATIONS are that the steamship men arc
getting outithe Star-Spangled Banner, shaking
the dust out Of IT in preparation for fight in de-
tense OF the Coastwise Shipping Law when the
eifot is made to secure It's temporary suspension
SO far as the passenger-carrying provisions apply
to Coast Honolulu business Already, too there
are nutterings OF caution against any agitation in
Hawaii for the repeal or suspension OF protec-
tive law regarding steamships at this time, when
Hawaii will be approaching congress soon for the
reenactnieht of a protective law for sugar
The same. old policy of flag tapping as was en-
ployed here previously is to be revamped The
same old arguments that Hawaii should concen-
trate on the question of sugar tariff and forget
everything else are to be brought up to date and
volleyed forth tatr
Those who are prepared to argue for Hawa's
right to have the same untramynelled travel priVi
leges as are accorded without question to every
other section Of the American Union must be pre-
pared to have their patriotism questioned and must
be ready 10 resist the argument that to ask for
suspension Of the Coastwise Law now will be to
imperil the prospect Of restoration Of the sugar
tariff. re- ..f' =. 5.5tN
II Hawaii should approach congtess with any
suggestion that the protection given by the Coast
wise Law to the main business Of shpping-that
OF freight carrying-should be done away with
the arguments of the prof. patriots would be sound,
both as regards the question Of helping maintain
the Flag on the Pacific and of helping secure the
reenactment OF the sugar tariff clause, but while
Hawaii asks only to be relieved Of the intoerable
check placed upon our tourist trade by the fact
that there are not enough passenger ships on the
run to handle the present business, with the prac-
tcal certainty that there will be fewer still when
the Seamens Act goes into effect no logical attack
can be made upon either the patriotism or the
good business Judgment Of the suspension advo-
Gates e 4 tt NO. tF 1,.s.. '.,trA-.
None would have the nerve to argue today that
the passenger accommodations on the San Fran
cisco run are adequate i None can say that the
tourist trade Of Hawaii would not benefit i'm
mensey if the British liners and the Japanese
liners now on the run were allowed to bring pas
sengers to Hawaii or carry them to the Coast, or
II the introduction were removed so that the Chi
nese lines promised Honolulu could carry San
Francisco Honolulu passengers. None would care
to argue that the more passengers brought to Ha-
wall Iwould, not, mean more freight brought to
Hawaii. pne would care to deny the fact that
the more tourists Hawaii can entertain the more
Honpnli1S will be able to travel Coastward, with
the local lBes naturally getting the local prefer
ence I2E:'t sE- f.rG ~ ....
A suspension Of the Coastwise Law would not
mean fewer passengers for the American ships, Z,
but more passengers in the long run and more
freight Immediately, 1--we '"
The question of patriotism need not enter into
the argdment at all. 1t is not considered I'M
patriotic to travel west one of the Japanese or
British liners. Why should it be unpatriotic to
travel, east on one? 1t is not considered un-
patriotic to travel out of New York harbor or San
Frahcisco harbor or any other harbor of the main
land in foreign liner. Why should Honolulu be
the only port of the Union where patriotism re-
quires sailing under the American flag or staying
home? + ..-..-s -. 'e1i-.e -
So far as the sugar tariff is concerned, congress
is going to consider that on the basis of the rev.
enue it will produce, not on. the basis of whether
Hawaii has the teefity to ask for itself what every
other part of the Union has without asking for
and which congress would never dare take away