Evening star., 1941-12-25

seven-year tight ended in the def1-
mite establishment OF these schools.
The basis of the courts ruling was
that so long as the children Of Jap
anese parentage attended the Eng
lish language schools it was not
within the right Of the territorial
legislature to deny or to supervise
their instruction in the language OF
their parents.
Three years ago, at about this sea-
son, I spent several months in
Hawaii. and I soon noted, in Homo
lulu. the early morning assemblage
of japanese children at the Shrines
and temples Inquiry into the matter
brought the explanation that I have
Just given. This led to further
questioning and from several we'll
informed sources I gained the infor-
nation that the Language schools"
were viewed with deep concern on
the part Of both Hawaiian and
continental Americans. There was
no actual alarm at that time on the
score of a possible rupture of rela-
tlonS between Japan and the United
States. Nevertheless it was generally
felt that 50 long as the Japanese
Hawaiians were being maintained
on bi-lingual basis there was dam
ger of a division of loyalty in the
1t was hoped unlikely event of
trouble between the United States
and Japan.
Americans Got 4 Jolt.
An incident" as it is called in ia
pan. occurred on New Year day.
1899. which gave the serenity of
Americans a jolt. Early that morn
ing flags were hoisted on all pos
sible mastheads and poles through
out Honolulu in celebration of the
occasion. The American flag was. Of
course, alone seen on public build
ings and on or alongside of the
homes Of the residents Honolulu
was gay with the national colors
But down on the waterside. in the
coves and inlets of the shores of
Oahu, and particularly in Honolulu,
Japanese flags also appeared, both
the red-ball-on-white national en-
blem of Nippon and banners in
scribed with large Japanese Char
| acters"
This aroused indignation on the
part of non-Japanese Honoluluans.
| The Hawaiian owners of fishing
boats went after the Japanese boat
owners and compelled them to low
er these flags. There was some fric-
ton. but the japanese were not bel
ligerent. They lowered the emblems
of both types, though not before ]
had an opportunity to take the
photograph herewith produced.
asked friend. long resident in
Hawaii, whether this display of the
| japanese colors was a symptom oi
mental reservations" on the part Of
the Japanese-Hawaiians with re-
spect to their actual loyalty to thetl
American citizenship. He told mt
that in the minds Of most American
Hawaiians the Japanese were a
heart still true to the Japanese gov
ernment, even unto the second gen
Grafton. Yet others said that the,
believed that the flag incident wa
just a bit of racial sentimentalisn
that would not affect the ultimat
, loyalty of these Japanese-American
to their new allegiance in the even
of trouble between the two coun
tries.
mo Ground for Anxiety"
, There are scores of Japanese TEN
, pies and shrines throughout Hawai-
1t should be explained that the diff
) ference between the temple and tn
shrine is that of what may for tn
want of more exact word be calle'
sectarianism. The temple is the plac
of worship of the Buddhist, tn
shrine that of the Shintoist. The tw
, are not conflicting or essentially diff
ferent as respects nationality or sen
timents or moral precepts. TIL
/ Buddhists may also be Shintoists, a
Shinto is a cult superimposed upo
Buddhism. Not all Buddhists ar
! Shintoists, but it is believed by man
e that at heart all Shintoists are
l Buddhists.
: Definite thought had been give
to the matter of possible conf1lt
j between Japan and the Unite
| States when I visited Hawaii. Ths
it had not gone to the point OF tn
~