Speech #550084030

With regard to the Portuguese and their alleged undesirability. the charge is without founlation. Like the poor peasant population of other coutries which comes to the United States. the majority of them are unable to read or write. the percentage in Hawaii who are able to read and write being 28. hut they are industrious. economical. and moral. constituting the best laboring population of Hawaii. As is the case in our own country. the second generation -the children of the original immigrantshaving all received a publicschool education. all speak. read. and write in English. and are a progressive. valuable element. mating good citizens. As to the Chinese. their number. after the source of supply is shut Off. as provided for in the treaty. will diminish in Hawaii. Upon thq passage of the exclusion act in 1886 there were 21.000 in the country. At the expiration of five years the number of Chifiese had been reduced to less than 15.000. The Japanese also. as a rul j onethird of any given number. within five years after their land ing return to their own country.