The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-08-09
JAPANESE LABOR IS
GREATLY DECREASED.
SAYS HAWAII HOCH|.
Twelve Thousand Fewer On Plan
.o'>tations Now Than Ten
Years Ago
REMUNERATION IS
INTERESTING PLANTERS
Oriental Paper Complies Figures
In Support Of Proposed Suspen-
sion Of Gentlemen'S Agreement

sion Of Gentlemen's Agreement
There are. now twelve thousand few
er japanese labOrers on the plantations
than in 1908, and nearly a thousand
fewer Koreans according to the figures
compiled by the Hawai- Hochi, which
offers them ~ an argument why there
should be no opposition nov. in view
of the labor shortage, to the war time
suspension Of the Gentlpmcn's : Agree.
nPnt 20 far as to permit the kamaai.
ma laborers now in Japan to return
again to the Islands.
The Hochi is authority for the state
/ ment that the planters association
members are showing interest in the
suggestion. In recent article, the
Hoehi reviews the circumstances lead
ing up to the Gentlemen \ Agreement
and points out what it believes is the
advisability and proprietry Of attempt
I ing 10 secure temporary suspension
of the agreement now.
1.-THE Hochi 3 article on the impor.
. tation of japanese reimmlgrants has
/ aroused the attention of the public, &"
! says that paper. cit is said the pint,
/ ers are studying this problem seriousl,
: along with the question Of the labor
! supply in Hawaii. At this Opportunt
/ time it will be wise TO recall how Jap
nnese immigration to America came
to stop,
California Agitation
After the cOnflagration of 1906 in
San Francisco, school accommodations
were insufficient to receive all children
, and rs the result the city authority
planned to exclude all japanese chill
! dren from the public schools and to
: gather them into specially prepared
.chOols for Orientals. This was the
first actual move toward japanese cX
clusion. In 1907 several anti-Japanest
! bills were introduced into the State leg
! islaturC, whereupon President Roose
Welt invited Mayor Schmidt Of San
! Francisco to the White House and ask
/ ed him to repeal the school regulation
and to have the anti.Japanese bill
withdrawn, on condition of stopping
| japanese immigration and Of prohibit
ing Japanese in Hawaii from coming
| to the continent
I'm the japanese American Treaty
then, in force il was clearly set fortl
in Section IT that any high contracting
nation may regulate movements Of la.
borers from the other country. Accord
ingly, the Japanese government had NJ
| right 10 object to any japanese exclu
sion law if passed by the United States
| Consequently, the Japanese govern
ment took the initiative to curtail the
emigration of labOrers to America be
fore any such legislation by the Unite,
states might be passed In this nego
| tiation, Ambassador Wright at Toxic
! represented the United States and For
eign Minister Hayashi represented Jap
an. The agreement then reached wa,
kept in secret, though it was knowr
to be an agreement to restrict japanese
immigration. This agreement is what
is called n Gentlemen Agreement. ;
Confirming Memorandum
In the same year. pursuant to the
plan laid down by Ambassador Aoki,
a new treaty to preserve the then ex
| listing condition on the Pacific was con
| trarted by Ambassador Takahira and
| Mr. Root, secretary of state. Again in
! 1911, the United States requested Jap
an to hand a memorandum of the pur.
! port Of III" Gentlemen $ Agreement. lie
of restricting japanese emigrants t,
| the TINTED states. The japanese Am
! haosador Of that time was NisrOunt
! Crhida. The said memorandum read a.
! follows:
The undersigned, His Imperial
japanese Majesty's Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
! to the United States of America,
stationed in Washington, being
! about to sign the japanese Amer
! can commercial Treaty, has on this
dat" the honor Of making the fol
| lowing statement in accordance with
/ the authority given by his govern
mcnt
lu" Imu"rial japanese Govern
nrnt IL determined to effectively
mniutHiu ms before the restrictions
| and regulations which were en-
forced for the past three years con
rrrminE IabOrers immigrating to
the United States.
Diplomatic Victory For America
"This memorandum given by Ambas
'ldor 'chidn had the effect of recogniE.
;ng all the requests made by the United
. trS. rnd prevented the prohibition
Of Japanese labOrers going to the main.
and from h"roming judicial problem
Wis mrmoramdum was a great dipIo
matte sucrrss for the United States
while it was great failure for Jap.
-. Consequently, the key to bring
Japanese luhors into the United States
n order to supply the present labor
'hOrtugr IS in the hands Of the United
tatr, g"Nrrumeut IA other words,
the application of this memorandum
is suspended during the war, japanese
nhorrrs will b" able to come to Ha.
waii freely. The prohibition of entry
into the United States by japanese
'"b0rers Is not defined by the laws of
he United states. and so the govern.
'nrut has no need to consult with con.
gress but may act independent from
| il. Besides, labOrers arriving in
Hawaii by said suspension Of the
! i"rt 'rmc" : Agreement cannot leave
'rr the mainland under the present reg
'atinu aud their arrival has no rela-
on therefore TO labor circles ON the
| mtinrut Therefore. should the pub-
ir lln" ri desire japanese re immi.
! sPouts tu he came in the fedaral GOV.