Evening star., 1941-12-25
BY G. A. LYON.

Allegations of fifth column" ac-
tivities in Hawaii on the part Of
residents of those islands of Japa-
nese birth and descent bring to at
tention a condition in the Territory
that has for some time given cause
for serious concern respecting the
loyalty of that portion of the popu-
lation in the event of war between
Japan and the United States. The
japanese in Hawaii constitute the
largest numerical factor Of the ma
tional origins of the residents Of
the archipelago, approximately 81
per cent. Most of them are OF
Hawaiian nativity, the influx from
the land of the Mikado having been
checked some years ago.
This anxiety on the score of the
trustworthiness of the Japanese
American citizenship in case of con-
flict between the two countries was
intensified in 1927 when the Supreme
Court of the United States unani-
mously denied the validity of ter
ritorial statute placing under official
American supervision a system OF
japanese Language schools" set up
for the children of Japanese parents
resident in the island. those schools
having been engaged for a number
of years in maintaining the Japa-
nese- Hawaiians upon a bi-lingual
basis.
The story of the language school
issue has an interesting bearing
upon the matter Of the loyalty Of
the younger generation Of Japanese
Americans in Hawaii today. One
morning the Rev. Take Okumura. a
Christian minister of Japanese birth,
saw a little girl standing at the door
of his church. Thinking she was
lonely. he asked her if she had come
with her mother. Her reply was:
Me mama hanahana yokonai."" This
was unintelligible to him and he
called to a friend who had been
longer in the islands for an intepre-
tation and learned that me mama
was a corrupt English phrase for
my mother" "hanahana" was the
Hawaiian for work" and "yokonai''
was japanese expression for can
not come"
Suspicians Were Aroused.
This experience gave the Rev. Mr.,
Okamura the idea OF setting up
early morning schools to teach cor
rect japanese to the younger chill
dren. His project was set on foot
The Territorial Legislature was
aroused to action by the spread
of this measure for the mainte-
nance OF the japanese language in
Hawaii, suspicious and doubts on
the part of the Americans in Hawaii
growing in proportion to the in
crease in the number Of the schools
and the pupils, and, according tc
one commentator on the subject
in proportion likewise to the growth
of Japan's influence In the family
of nations.
This hostility to the Language
schools developed to the point OF tn
| introduction in the territorial legls
lature in 1919 OF . bill for thei
abohshment Strong opposition o.
the part of the Oriental commmit
In Hawaii caused its defeat. tn
following year, however, an act wa
passed providing for the hcensln
of the schools, the examination
teachers and the revision of text
books used in the schools. Regula
tions adopted by the territorial de
partment of public instruction S
irked the Japanese residents of tn
islands that after a period OF agi
tated discussion series of meeting
of the Japanese associations in Hon
olulu was held and resolutions /
protest were adopted.
Division of Loyalty.
The Japanese objectors to the leg
islation appealed to the courts
test the constitutionality of the en-
actment and of the department,
regulations adopted under it. The
followed a series Of hearings, argu
ments, decisions and appeals unit
the case was carried through tf
courts to the Supreme Court, whic
on the 21st of February. 1927. rer
dered unanimous decision declal
ing the Hawaiian language scho
law to be unconstitutional. Thus