Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-10-30
HONOLULU PEOPLE
BADLY TREATED BY
ST. IMMIGRATION
George R. Carter Lodges Red
Hot Protest in Open Letter
to Argonaut

Former Governor George r. Carter
has lodged with the immigration de-
partment At San Francisco q red-hot
protest agc.aSt the treatment of VII
heImina passengers by San Francis
co immigration official.
His letter OF protest was sent as an
open letter TO the San Francisco Argo'
naut and he has also sent a copy to
the Honolulu Chamber Of Commerce.
Here is the letter:
san Francisco, Oct. 4. 1917.
An Open Letter to the Official In
charge OF the immigration Depart.
ment, San Francisco, California.
Dear Sir:
If knew your name ! would, OF
course, use il. Even without it, permit
me TO advise you that ! was passen.
ger on the steamer Wilhelmina, voy
age 80, from Honolulu to this great
gateway OF commerce.. While in the
harbor, passing the immigration Of
ficials in the salon, ] heard one say,
i want you to understand that this
is San Francisco-not Hawaii His
voice sounded so like a little man
with big authority that | stopped to
observe the scene.
There were only three culprits left
standing before this wise judge-the
woman SO gruffly addressed seemed
perplexed-she had with her tour
clean, well dressed boys It appears
that she7 was a Portuguese whose hus.
band wasG35pad and she had alone
brought hW4hese fine looking boys.
tt1<n To-
with a permit to land in his posses
sion, issued by your colleague, from
your department OF this Government,
in Honolulu. The third was a para.
lyzed seaman Of the very steamer we
were on, who, as the purser explained,
was stricken while at Honolulu, and
under the law the ship could not go
TO sea without its quota of able sea-
men, SO this man was discharged
there and another engaged, and the
Marine Hospital service had taken
care Of him and was sending him back
to the Hospital here-all three of
these we're held up guilty OF trying to
enter this great city. Your subordi-.
nate, instead of meeting one case at a
time, vfbrated between them like a.
lost dog. The seaman was then ask.
ed to explain his case, Were you ever
sick before? (Who has not been
siek?l He told his story with SIM
plicity, still standing supported by a
cane and the Judge left him stand
Ing there and back he jumped to the
woman's case. Where were your
boys born?' In Honolulu came the
answer. And after consultation your
representative appeared to conclude
that he would eventually send the
woman 10 the island, she being an
illiterate. The boys he said he could
do nothing with and they would prob.
ably have to be set free in the city.
The womanis face was a study-what
could she do thus separated? And
where would her boys gog Leaving
s her to ponder. the official turned TO
the Japanese: When did you arrive in
Hawaii?s Answer Five years ago,
Did you have a passport Yes
Where is it?' In my trunk Get
It." And the youth disappeared. Then
questions are asked and finally 1t was
suggested, as the man tottered, that
he had better sit down.
THE night before on that very car.
pet IS passengers had raised S1165. SO
for the American Red Cross War
Fund. and standing there, seemed to
be bewii1<red. Was this. after all, an
American ship? Had we sailed from
an American port? Were we under
the American flag? And were we
American passengers? While thinking
thus, back came the japanese with
his passport. After your official had
examined It, with hesitation he finally
asked the student to translate that
portion printed in Japanese, which is
also reproduced in English and this he
did quite readily.
May be pardoned for my intru-
sion. but at this point could not help
saying to your appointee that Hawaii
was q part of the United States OF
America and our constitution pro-
yided that there can be nothing to
prevent the free passage of people
from one portion to another of our
great Union, nor can there be any
restriction or commerce and that per-
haps q damage suit in the courts
would be necessary before the of.
ficials realized that we had a consti-
tuition. Still amazed, left them, join
ing my family already recognizing
friends on the wharf. Now want to
ask you II this is the treatment &C.
corded to passengers on steamers en-.
tering this port from Puget Sound or
Portland?
Permit me to state that no matter
what reception you accord US. we Ha.H
waiians are not uitlanders, and by
Vat right do you demand to know
our age, date of birth and where
born? When Hawaii was annexed We
submitted to much in order to help
Uncle Sam adjust himself to our adop.