Speech #550133857

I believe annexation is the only possible way open to us to protect ourselves against foreign complications. Now. to the population. Our able Committee on Foreign Affairs in their report state as follows: While the character of the comparatively small population of the Hawaiian Commonwealth is a minor consideration as compared with the transcendent importance of the possession of that strategic point in the Pacific. it may be briefly considered: It is a mixed population. 24.407 Ja!panese and 21.616 Chinese. or together nearly onehalf of the entire 109.020 on the island. but after annexation the Asiatic element would be reduced. the contract system would be terminated. and United States restriction laws as to immigration would be applied. the Hawaiian penal code (paragraph 1571) would gradually send back the Chinese laborers. This annexation joint resolution forbids further Chinese immigration. and under it those now in Hawaii can not come to other parts of the United States. Our recent treaty with Japan. to go into effect next year. enables the United States to regulate the immigration of Japanese laborers. The supply being cut off. the number of Asiatics remaining in Hawaii would be very rapidly reduced by natural causes. which are plainly shown by the movements of the Asiatic population in past years. for since 1893. though the flood of Japanese coming in has been strong. the departures each year have been half as many as the arrivals. Like the Chinese. when they. have adcumulated a moderate competence. the craving for home takes them back. The enormous excess of men coming shows on its face that they do not come to Hawaii to establish homes. The Hawaiian laws exclude them from homestead rights. These constant and powerful causes operating. if annexation were carried .out the Asiatic proportion of the population would rapidly diminish. There is a large element of what are called Portuguese15.191but of these. who are a quiet. laborious population. over 7.000 have been born there. educated in the public schools. andspeak English as readily as the average American child. They are a useful. orderly people. and rapidly assimilate the American ideas and institutions which now prevail in the islands. The British element. 2.250. the German. 1.432. and others of European origin. probably 1.000. are elements with which we are perfectly familiar in our own country. which readily sympathize and blend with our own people. They will naturally adhere and cooperate as against Asiatic influence. The native Hawaiian race is decreasing from year to year by some mysterious law which has been in operation for a century. It is reasonable to suppose that within ten years after annexation the inconsiderable population of these islands will not differ widely in character from that of many parts of the United States. This truthful statement by our committee. Mr. Speaker. clearly shows that all this alarm about our nation being flooded with hordes of Asiatic people. who these alarmists claim must be taken in with these islands. is absolutely unfounded in fact as to their present population. and when we have taken. political control we will at once apply our national policy by shutting the gates against a further influx of the Asiatic races. For the benefit of our sugar producers. of both cane and beets. I will read what our committee report about the sugar product and its possibilities: The only way in which Hawaiian sugar can injure beet sugar is by being produced in such quantities as to supplant the beet product of the United States. or by cutting the price so as to lower the price of beet sugar to its producers.