Speech #710097622

I can say that the sugar growers of Hawaii have not been importing Japanese labor into the islands in recent years. because under our immigration laws they are for. bidden to import orientals. They have gone to the Philippine Islands. which are under our flag. and they have gone to Porto Rico. which is under our flag. and have encouraged the importation of laborers from those islands. but there have been no special immigration laws passed with reference to the Hawaiian Islands. although the request was made some years agoIf my recollection serves me aright it was made in 1921 or 1922by a conymittee of planters that special permission be given to bring in a certain number of orientals. Permission to do so. however. was not granted by Congress. It is not true. Mr. President. that under our immigration laws we have permitted Hawaii to import oriental laborers who can not come into the continental United States. it is not true that we have permitted them to come into Hawaii. any more than they can come into California. As a matter of fact. the history of our relations with Hawaii shows the truth of the statement I brought out a few moments ago. that an act of this kind is unjust. unfair. and unworthy of the United States. Most of the States-