The Washington herald., 1922-03-18
Blames Hawaiian Planters for
Japanese Increase.
To tn. Editor. The Washington Herald:

10 the Bultor, The Warrington Herald:
In the March of Events" section
of Washington paper appeared
an article by Maj. H. w. Patton en-.
entitled Hawaii Fast on the ROAD
to BE Little Japan"
To keep the American public from
falling for propaganda which may
cause no end of trouble in the neat
future, it is my duty to comment OF
this article. Any American citizen
who does not know the facts viii
most assuredly gain a false impress
sion as the result u a few state
ments contained therein.
sounded this warning in Homo
lulu in January. 1904. and was ridi.
culed for my pains. The misinform'
ing nucleus of the article which will
give the American public an entire
ly different view is this: mo other
labor than that from tropical coun-
tries can do the work in the cane
fields. and mighty few white mer
can cultivate the pineapple" Since
when has Japan been known as q
tropical country? When I was there
IL was cold enough for water tc
freeze on deck and needed an over
coat.
Here's the brutal fact: Norwe-
gians, Swedes and Portuguese were
the original plantation workers IN
Hawaii. but the Japs could be hired
for from one-fourth TO one-half the
whites wages. A few millionaires
decided to keep this garden spot OF
the world an exclusive playground
for themselves. Now that it has
become so exclusive that IL threat
ems to exclude them, they are com
mencing to squeal.
There was loads of money in il tC
fire the whites and produce crops
at an Oriental scale OF wage. ther
dispose of them on the mainland al
American prices
was told that the Japs were po-
lite. always on the job and worked
like slaves. kowtowinG to the plan
tation owners. which gave then
that exalted telling of being sover.
eigns of a little kingdom: whereas
the Portuguese. Swedes and Nor
weEians looking upon America as q
free country. had a certain amour,
Of spirit Of independence
But. I objected. after all the white
labor has been eliminated and the
Japs get the whip-hand so to speak
they will drive the plantation own
ers into the Pacific. Figuratively
speaking, II you are killing OF the
whites, when there are no whites
to rally round you. what is to stoI
the Japs from figuratively killing
you Off? Do you expect the white:
who are being fred from their job'
in these delightful islands to rende,
aid In the face of such treacherou'
treatment?
when the discharged white labor
from the HawRiians began to pour
in on the Pacific Coast, the Califor'
mans Cself styled native sons) gave
them little sympathy and they scat.
tered along the coast. numbers oi
them drifting eastward. 1t was
only when the Japs were following
on the heels of the disgruntlec
white workers and started the same
tactics In California that the native
sons commenced to roar.
Hc-e IL the fact straight from the
shoulder: Practically all large plan
tations were manned by white la
Dor. until the financiers at the head
of them saw the enormous prof1t In
firing the whites and replacing
them with Japanese labor. Now
that the profit-getting proclivities
have landed the fat in the fire and
the islands are practically in the
hands Of Japanese, they try through
Maj. Patton to. stir up the American
public and Congress in heirsfavor
They deserve no aid or sympathy
after the high-handed manner tr
which they drove out their fellow
men who were good loyal citizens
q met scores OF them in my RAM
blings on the Pacific CoasD in ia
vor OF Orientals for the sake Of bis
profits. Had they not committed
this folly whites would now pre-
dominate by an overwhelming ma
jority.
1t was a well-known fact twenty
years ago that the wealthy planta-
ton owners were determined to
make the islands an exclusive pa
adise for themselves. with hundreds
of servants and fiunkeys to do their
bidding. Now that the admirable
servants are gaining the upper
hand. which threatens to change
the paradise to q hell. they would
Invite US In to help them maintain
their prestige.
When / was in Honolulu In 1e04
wondered and asked why there
were SO few whites In these de-
nghtful Islands. and I was Informed
or every hand that the wealthy
plantation owners did not want
them that they hAd inaugrIratcd 4