Arizona republican., 1921-08-03
JAP MERCHAN E OPPOSE BILL TO ADM| I COOL|ES,
 WITNESS STATES
Contributed Large Sum To Send Labor Representa- tives To Fight Proposed Legislation, He Says
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1


 WASHINGTON, Aug. 2.-Repre- sentatives of organized labor in Ha- waii, sent here to oppose legislation under which Chinese coolies could be admitted to Hawaii to help re- lieve the agricultural labor shortage, testified before the house immigra- tion committee today that their ex- penses had been paid by Japanese.
 Willot Chiffon, who came here with George w. Wright, president of the Central Labor Union of Hono- lulu, when questioned by Represent ative Free, Republican of California, declared Japanese merchants on the island had contributed $500 so that they might personally oppose admis sion of the Chinese, and that he had split it fifty fifty" with Wright.
 Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor. was present when MT. Free developed that the Japanese chamber of com merce of Honolulu, acting on a re- quest for help, decided it would be ''unwise" for the organization to contribute, but that individual mem bers could do so. Earlier MT. Comp CTS told the committee that the fed eration, with which the central labor union of Honolulu is affiliated, would not issued union charters re- quested by Japanese labor groups in this country.
 Says Japan Seeks Control
 Throughout the hearings on pend ing relief legislation. spokesmen for the sugar planters of Hawaii have asserted that the Japanese gradual ly were gaining business control on the island. and that they were secret ly opposing temporary lifting of American immigration laws which would permit flow of labor needed to meet the shortage in time to save future crops.
 Delegate Kalanianole, sponsor of the bill before the committee. de- clared in a statement tonight that control of Hawaii had been Japan's S objective for many years.
 Do the Amercian people need ad- ditional evidence" he asked, that the economic control of the Ha- waiian Islands is fast slipping from us after today's development before the house immigration committee when the opponents of a measure for relief. representatives of organ ized labor in Hawaii, admitted re- luctantly that funds which brought them to Washington had been sec retly subscribed by Japanese in the territory"
 Failure of congress to waive re- strictive immigration for HaVaii, he declared, will mean that the Japanese forthwith will state publicly that the United States is afraid to exclude Japanese, afraid to admit Chinese"
 In a statement tonight MT. Comp CTS declared the proposed legislation which would make possible impor- tation by sugar planters of Hawaii of approximately 50.000 Chinese coolies in bond" was a proposal brought forward for the benefit of great corporations, and for the ex- ploitation of humanity"
 Gompers Voices Objection
 "The American people" he said ought to rise in overwhelming pro- test and resentment against this in iquitous proposal.' It is, he added an act of shame and disgrace for any American to advocate peonage, bond labor, slave labor. anywhere under the American flag"
 This issue" he continued, clear ly is whether the American principle of Oriental exclusion shall be de- stroyed, whether Chinese cOolies shall be brought to Hawaii in bond and whether America is going to per init establishment in Hawaii of 2 condition of serfdom, peonage anc | bondage, in which the coolies shal i be brought to the island, tied to theIl ] jobs and rendered liable to punish ment if they attempt to desert tho work for which it is proposed they | shall be imported in bond"