The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-12-07
WILL CONTINUE TO
PRESIDENCY
!. r. C, Hausps, VIII Not Allow
Criticism TO Force Him From
Z Chantberof Commenced Position

.. +. G. Hagens, president Of the
chamber of commerce, whose tendrc Of
office has been criticized because Of the
fact Of bis German pareutaee, does not
Intend to resign from that Office as a
result of such criticism.
In letter to The Advertiser, Mr..
Hagens declares that there exists no
reason whatever for suspectiag his am
cricanism and no feasdh whatever Why
he should allow himself to be infln.
enced in what he sees as his duty by
criticism which he knows to be unjust.
Mr.. Hagens writes: Il.
Not q German
editor Advertiser Perhaps it is
unnecessary for me TO answer Dixie
Doolittle's' paid advertisement in your
paper of the sixth, but decline to
remain silent when my loyalty is ques.
toned, even by one whose percentage
of .Americanism is so low that he hides
behind an assumed name when damning
me with faint praise.
SIN the first place, / am not Ger.
man but an American, although ma.
turalized, and the Constitution of the
United States makes no distinction be-
tween the native born and natura' zed
citizen. Furthermore, a very large per-
centage, perhaps the majority, of our
citizens here are Of the same class,
having become citizens at the timc Of
annexation; for even those IF American
percentage or ancestry were not recog-
nize,l by Washington as Americans but
as Hawaiians. ~ .aaii1
Record As a Kamaaina ,ss. #
s"To those who have come to our
shores after annexation, the conditions
prevailing here prior to that time may
not be so well known, nor the stand
taken by some of the kamaainas. A
glance dt the membership roll OF :he
Annexation. Club and the roster OF the
National Guard during those trouble
some times may throw some light on
who were then pro-American and who
were not. I ask, can anyone who he.
I,fore annexation worked and fought for
Amerieanism and annexation to the
greatest Republic on earth be trusted
now or not, and is he not entitled to
recognition for such services to Amer.
leaf On account Of my determined pro-
American stand at that time, lost a
number of intimate friends who had
different opinions, and yet some of them
are today among our most respected
loyal citizens. I.r .~..s. I%.G
~ Having come here. as boy Of six
teen years, and after having lived prac-
tieally thirty-one years in the Islands
and on the Pacific Coast, can there be,
in thet light Of my pastrrecord, amy
doubt as to my sentiments and loyalty.
IT seems to me nothing less than deli
,berate persecution, the motives of
which i cannot explain, that paid adver-
tisements are used to belle my loyalty
and sincerity. ,aA ~. - = g.
America Needs All Loyalists
Se'sAmerica needs every loyal and pa.
triotic citizen in these times, including
those of German birth and extraction.
1t Is from a national point of view
that we must look at things, and not
from a personal or prejudiced side, for
the aims Of our common government
must be and actually are the unifica-
ton of the various elements of its citi-
zenry, aud there is no better opportun-
ity than the present. ".#. '.r
r'I am proud of my American citizen
ship, proud of the high ideals and aims
in this war of my government, and its
President, and am, therefore, at all
times prepared to do my duty to my
country, the only country ! ever sworc
allegiance to; and further than that,
am prepared to do my fnll duty to-
wards my fellow-citizens in this com
munity and continue to fulfill and carry
opt the duties Of any office which, by
force Of circumstances or otherwise, Is
entrusted to me. e,.s r.
~ J. r, G. HAGENS
Honolulu. December Q. 1917.