The Japanese in Hawaii.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7792, 17 March 1904, Page 5

The Japanese in Hawaii.

A New Zetland Politician's Impressions. Mr 11. D. Bedford, M.H.R., ha chatty letter to the Ot'ago ivily Times, written from Honolulu, 1 gives sp-iie particulars of the manner in. which Americans' look: upon the Japanese population in. those, islands. Mr Bedford writes .— 1 " The population of the _h.'.w;':ian group is made up r'ougnly of :>OCO Americans, 15,000 I'O-CUjjue .c, 17,000 Chinese, .6,000 nativ. Hawaiians, and 60, >03 Japanese. 1 managed to interview _. gooi nuinher of leading American citizens, and 1 heard not one opinion- favourable to the Jap., .The'prevailing hope is that if Russia and Jv.v.Xn co-mo to blows Japan will he humbled. The American, plaater lias for- many years past employed Japanese on his sugar plantations, ■and without hesitation- he declares that the little "yellow man is inferior to his Celestial brother !"om China in all that constitutes a good workman, Tho Chinaman is more industrious and more trustwoi*. liy. All tho positions of trust in bank's and iln-ancial coneei'ns in Japan itself are occupied by Cuinese. This is a general statement which n •.ds practically no qualification. It is a significant fact, and the truth to which it tcstilies is borne out by the experiences of the Americans of Hawaii. We knew the Jap has not the semblance of social morality ; apparently his commercial morality, is just as defective. "My predilections for the Japanese suffered many a rude shock during my brief stay in Honolulu. With the traditional antagonism of a Briton to Russia's aggression:, I fondled the hope that Japan- would rtoil tho Bear's aspiration in the East. If, however, I am to believe what I hoard aud saw, the .lap is apt to be very much overrated. Said a distinguished and learned citizen : ' The Jap is little more than an anthropoid ape. All his ancient arts he hot-rowed from China. Even in his imitations fne frequently misses the central ideas. I have just returned from Japan. Whilst' at Yokohama I lodged at a large new hotel built on the most approved European 'plan. I was amazed to notice they- failure to seize the central ideas of the things copied. To give one of the abundant (instances. The enamelled baths had an inviting: appearance, hut they possessed this characteristic defect—there was no.'plughole for emptying- tlie water. Then there is the " yellow peril," which every now and then we arc asked to contemplate by some pessimistic writer. The Jap is distinctly aggressive with a full-Waw-n concept 'of himself, and what may be tho upshot of the triumph of Japan over Russia fills .us with a vague dread. An alliance between Japan and China, witlh their illimitable millions, might mak)e it necossai'y to pull down our present maps of the world and hang up new ones. " Such were the scrftimeirts expressed by the Americans at Honolulu over the Eastern, imibi-ogl-io. Tfrey profess to know the Jap and they pray for Iluss'ia's success. This hope does not appear to be entertained by the United States Government, but it seems a fact worth recording- considering its source."