HE CONDITIONS in the Territory of Hawaii require Federal attention. The "Gentleman's Agreement" (that mongrel thing-neither treaty nor law), which was intended to save California without offending Japan, left Hawaii unprotected. There was no restriction put upon immigration there. Hawaii was abandoned to the Japanese by the blundering policy of our government. How far the sugar planters may be responsible for this is another question. They wanted labor. They spent millions in immigration enterprises, seeking relief from Portugal, the Azores, the Philippines and Porto Rico. Some immigrants proved of no value; others fled to the continental United States, where the European workers were welcome. Finally the Japanese, beginning in 1885, were permitted to come, and now, by immigration and birth, compose about one-half the entire population of this American Territory. The Chinese are barred by the Exclusion Law. Briefly, the question of Hawaii is: Of what value are the Islands to the United States, and to what extent do the Japanese depreciate their value? Hawaii is an indispensable base for American naval operations. The menace in the Pacific is from Japan, ambitious and aggressive. It is inconsistent with our national interests to harbor in the Islands a people (now composing one-half their entire population), who owe loyalty and military service to Japan and cannot be Americanized. In the second place, the production of wealth, in American control, is highly desirable for the encouragement of our commerce. The surplus products of our fields and industries find in Hawaii a natural market. Should control pass to the Japanese, the military and commercial situation would reach a critical stage. Therefore, as a precaution, if not a cure, the American planters should be protected against absorption by Japanese. Out of Fortyfive Thousand agricultural workers required, there is now a labor shortage of Fourteen Thousand Five Hundred. The planters cannot fill the gap. The Japanese, who struck when they were getting Three Dollars per day-wages and bonus-plus house, garden, medical attendance, free water and free firewood, led the planters to fear that the unexpected move was designed to embarrass them to the point of surrender, because at about the same time, Japanese, or persons representing them, according to Walter F. Dillingham, official representative of the Territory, made offers to purchase plantations outright, and so end all trouble. In California, farmers, under such pressure, sold their lands. The Hawaiian planters decided to fight. Now, it appears to me that this is not solely a planters' fight. It is a fight for an American controlled Hawaii. It is a com paratively easy matter for these aliens to capture the soil if the Islanders are indifferent. Aliens may acquire land, privately owned, in the territories of the United States, but not public lands-so the door is open, as usual, and that is the only "open door" policy that is pleasing to Japan. The planters ask that the restrictions of the immigration laws be relaxed in favor of Hawaii for five years, in order to fill the labor deficiency from sources other than Japan. If they cannot get help, they are dependent on Japanese immigration. Field labor there repels and does not hold the second generation of Japanese. Many experiments have been tried to induce the agricultural settlement of the Islands by, for instance, the Portugese; but, so long as they are free to leave, they desert the Islands. A permanent solution of the problem might be found in such a system, inaugurated and maintained by the Territory, as "the Land Settlement Board" plan in Californiaborrowed, in turn, from Australia-by putting desirable settlers on the soil under attractive conditions of land purchase and long payments; or by fixing wages at a basic rate, as was done in Hawaii during the war, and a bonus, determined by the market price of sugar. This would take time, but I believe it would serve the best interests of the Territory to tax itself and vigorously bring it about. The Japanese, with all the influence and power of their government, are making a firm stand. They have a close association which imposes taxes on its members (One Million Dollars was raised during the strike) and their Consul directs every move. It is Japan governing a Japanese province under the Stars and Stripes. They have |