The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-08-13
VIEWSgD|FFER ON
\. REMUNERATION
Starting Of Action To Suspend
.GentIemen's Agreement" De-
pends Upon Planters Attitude

tions regarding the entry Of japanese
to America, as now underway on the
Pacific Coast, appears to depend upon
the decision Of whether or not the
Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association
viii give its full support to the pro-
ject. ,s. : fs
Local Japanese leaders and Japanese
newspapers have been urging that ac.
ton be started in Hawaii to get a sus-
pension Of the "Gentlemen Agree
ment'' between Japan and America
during the war, so laborers could be
brought here to work on the sugar plan
tations, and particularly so approx
mately 10000 Japanese formerly resi-
dent in the Islands, but now in Jap
an, could return. These are Japanese
who failed 10 return to Hawaii within
the time in which it was necessary for
them to do 50 in order to secure reen.
try. ...p
fred Maxine in the Hawaii Hochi as
serted that nearly all of these Japanese
would be willing to return to Hawaii If
they we're permitted to do so, and urged
that local action to have the govern
mont grant this privilege be under
taken o..
Since this suggestion was made bv
Maxine there has been no evidence of
approval from the sugar planters asso-
citation, for the benefit of which the
Japanese hackers say the movement
was proposed. FaxOn Bishop of C.
Brewer A Company has been quoted as
saying that II transportation for these
Japanese could be secured, transporta-
tion could be gotten also for the bring
ing in Of many more Filipino laborers
than now.
Maxine Wants TO Know
Meanwhile, Maxine says he has been
waiting for more definite word as to
the views Of the planters association,
before calling meetings of Japanese
and having resolutions passed endors
ing the project. In fact he said yes
terday that before going further with
the proposal at the present time he
wanted to know what was to be the
attitude of the planters.
z. ID. Tenney, president Of the sugar
planters association, refused to dis
cuss the question yesterday as repre-
sentative Of the planters, but made no
effort to conceal some opposition to the
plan as an individual
'How do we know that we would
not be touching upon n delicate inter
national problemf" he demanded.
President Tenney said that irrespec-
tive of whether proposal was made by
Maxine or anyone else he doubted the
wisdom of urging Washington officials
to permit the entry of japanese or
Chinese. But not because he personal
ly objected to, the lessening of immi-
grafton restrictions, but because he be-
ieved the Washington officials are bet,
tered Informed of all the problems in
volved in such a proposal, and there
fore better qualified to reach a con
clusiOn as to how the labor needs
are to be met.
Is National Problem
Instead, he advises that Washington
be kept informed of our labor wants
and that the solution thereof be left to
the proper officials. President Tenney
says that labor shortage is not merely
a local problem, but one that is nation
wide, and sure to become more so with
the formation of an army of 5,00O,0OO
"When a way is found of supplying
labor where needed ir the United
States, Hawaii win be included in the
plan," he thinks. He refers to the
fact that some effort to lessen the la
Dor shortage has been made already by
the government in the brining in of a
few thousand Porto Ricans to the east
ern part of the country, and in the
lifting Of restrictions on the entry of
Mexican labOrers to the border states.
"This is but a start to what may
be needed. With the forming Of the
bigger army there will be needed thir
ty.three and half million pairs of
hands to supply it, AS it is estimated
that it takes six and a half pairs of
hands to support every soldier in the
field, " he says.
In conclusion Mr. Tenney rciterates
that Hawaii can best serve by not be
coming mixed up in what may be q
delicate international situation, and
that if labor is not found for the Isl
and industries, it will have to be ac
cepted as one of the necessary burdens
of the war And he intimates that he
does not think Washington meanwhile
is going to get greatly excited over
whether or not there is a loss of few
millions dollars worth of sugar per
year here or not.
"It dOesn t seem likely that the gov
ernment will do so when our total as
sessed valuation in the Islands is only
say. about 5000 100000, and the cost of
the war in three or four days amounts
10 that much
When Fred Maxine was Informed
briefly Of President Tenney's 8 views on
the subject of asking for lessening Of
the restrictions of the "Gentlemen 5
Agreement, " he said il was hard to an
swer as to what further steps would be
taken by the japanese community.
"The subject needs consideration if
we are not to have the cooperation Of
the sugar planters We do not want
the labOrers. 1t was for the planters
the suggestion WIS made. IT'S hard to
say what we will do if the planters are
going to put their hands in their pOck
ct aud do nothing" Maxine said.
However, he added, that he was go
ing to take up the subject with Gov
Prn"r Mccarthy and get his views, and
that in the meanwhile he was gather
ing more data on the numbers of Jap
anese who would be qualified to return