The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-09-03
HELP FROM orient
ONLY SOLUTION OF .
HAWA|PS Problem
Albert Horner Points Out Seri-
BUSINESS Of Industrial Sit
uation In Islands
ONE LINE WEAKENED I
TO STRENGTHEN OTHER
Demand For Food For World
Such That All Preludices
Should Be Buried At Once 49,.

eve are asked to save sugar by the
pound, and yet, because of a prejudice
against the yellow race we are forced
to waste it by tho thousand tons"
This is how Albert Horner, repre-.
sentative in Hawaii Of the Federal
War Trade Board, summarized the In.
Dor shortage situation in the Terri.
tory in an interview granted The Ad.
Prtiscr.
Mr.. HOrner declares without quail
iCatiOn that there is only one way 10
which Hawaii can perform its double
Iuty Of providing its share of fighting
men and Of holding to a high mark its
reduction of vitality needed foodstuffs
sugar, pineapples and rice-and that
by the importation, for the period
# the war, of Oriental labor.
"TO me the present Hawaiian labor
ituatiOn Is little short Of criminal,
'aid Mr.. HOrner, "and believe it
hould be taken up with the National
'ood Commission, the Immigration
Bureau and, if necessary, the Exccu.
i've, to assure that some relief be af.
'orled the Territory so that its food
Producing power may be expanded TO
he limit and not be seriously re-
uced as it must be unless the man
'ower problem is remcdied.
other Line Weakened
Mobilization of the national guard
nd the first draft have taken 5000
nen Of Hawaii, ninety percent Of them
ield workers. Hawaii is glad to make
his contribution Of man power for the
lighting line but the drain has weak
ned another line, equally important,
he food production line, and, as Mr..
Ioovcr says Food Will Win the War +,
md, conversely, lack of food will lose
he war.
"Action to recruit the ranks of our
food producers must he taken at once
or there will follow a reduction, a tire
/ nendOus reduction, in our food prod.
tets. Unless relief comes soon there
will be a loss of at least $4,000 tons
# sugar in 1919.
Breaking Down Prejudices
"Now the remedy is simple, yet diffi.
ult; mere breaking down of bar.
'iers of political sentiment and politi-
,al prejudice for the period Of the
var. Our Oriental neighbOrs are will
ng, l believe, to supply us the man
'ower upon any terms that congress-
may dictate. England and. France have
imported Oriental labor to take the
'laces Of native food producers now
'usy killing Huns but who must still
re fed. ..&
"Senator McCumber, speaking in the
enate on Juno %, said: AN over.
whelming victory is so vitality impor.
ant to all the world that sentiment
,gainst alien or yellow labor should
Ne thrown to the winds. This Elk
'resses my views exactly.
"If permitted, the Oriental laborers
would come into the United States as
food producers for the period Of the
var and as long thereafter as their
ervices might be required and then,
Ike our boys in France, return home.
Only some such expedient will guar
lntee that Hawaii can perform its
italy important function Of helping
provide sugar for our people, both
Williams and soldiers. The importance
# this is recognized by everyone con
| versant with world food conditions.
Every pound of sugar that can be pro.
luced is needed, not as n luxury, but
Is an item Of food that cannot be
omitted.
"Our entire white man power has
been called upon for purely military
'ervice; we must look to the Orient
| for our plantation labor