COLOUR CLASH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 136, 1 February 1932, Page 5

COLOUR CLASH

HONOLULU PROBLEM TENSE ^ITUATIQN FOLLQWS RECENT CASE OF *' LYN£HING. JAPANESE ATTITUDE. For a week the p_aqi.es told how Honolulu is aflame with the racial passions stirred by the criminal outrage by natives upon an American woman, the consequent murder of a Hawaiian, and the assault upon a Japanese. The tumultuous bitterness of the whole race-conscious Pacific is centred in this lovely island of Hawaii, and waits like tinder for a spark to set ahlaze this front line which America holds against the Orient. s Can the United States Government control Hawaij? The criminal outrage upon Mrs. Massie, wife of a U.S. Navy Officer, by five men; and the consequent assault upon a Japanese and the murder of a Hawaiian, both allegedly concerned in the outrage, have done more than raise this question for a wondering world. A first-class storm has beeu raised in U.S. political circles, and fires of racial hatred fanned. ' Hawaii, with its variety of 14 races, is always a thorny problem to Uncle Sam's side. The near-martial law conditlons prevailing in Honolulu to-day are by no means unique. Ever since the Exclusion Law of 1882 (which particularly dealt with Chinese), the so-called Gentlemen's Agreement with Japan in 1907 and — the last resort— the Exclusion Act of 1924, has been definite anti-American unrest and disorder among the coloured races in Hawaii. Racial Antecedents. Hawaii is U.S. territory, governed by Federal laws. Of a total population of approximately 350,000, racial antecedents are as follow: — American and other whites 40,000 Japanese 150,000 Filipino .% 60,000 Chinese , .... 30,000 Portuguese 28,000 Hawaiian .... 25,000 Others 17,000 This racial classification should not be confused with nationality. Of the Japanese, for example, at least 100,000 are U.S. citizens, although they are a pure Japanese parentage. That is beeause they wero born in the U.S. territory. However, as one observer has noted — a Japanese in American clothes remains Japanese. Japanese and Chinese not born in U.S. territory, although reared from childhood, are not granted the privilege of becoming citizens. All other native races enjoy the privilege, including South African natives. The distinction is so pointed! And if a Mongolian of U.S. citizenship (i.e., born in the U.S.A.) goes to the Orient and marries one of his own race, his wife cannot enter U.S. territory, but their children can. Yet, an alien Mongolian resident in the U.S.A. may import his wife! This unreasonable statute encouraged in-ter-marriage of Mongolians with the races in the U.S.A. Japan Bitter. America's handling of the citizenship question has, in the past, caused bitter feeling in Japan, where America was openly called "an imposter" and a "studied deceiver." The Mongolians, especially the Japanese, have "peacefully penetrated" Hawaii. To-day they dominate the economic and commercial life of the islands. They enjoy all the privileges of the American administration. They remain aloof — a solid community with a background of ancient eulture and wisdom. Their birth-rate leaps ahead, and every child born is an American citizen, with the right to vote and to own property. These children, U.S. citizens, in turn will not inter-iparry with the whites or other races. Such inter-marriage is unknown. This rising tide of colour is more or less eoncentrated on Oahu Island, an krea of only 600 square miles, of which Honolulu is the largest eentre. Catering for a large floating population of tourists, who answer the tropical lure of tourist folders, drink flows despite prohibition, and dens of vice and gambling are everywhere. The United States is taking elaborate precautions against racial disturbances. Army and Navy Ready. On this mere dot in the Pacific are ; found, army, navy and aviation bases larger than any on the U.S. mainland. " They combine to make America's front line against the Orient. There : are vast stores of ammunition, equipftent, and food. There is enough ; barbed wire to go three times around fre Hawaiian Islands! A fleet of paine-layers maintains series of mine;fields along all points of the compass from Hawaii. The U.S. Pacific Fleet frolds annual ipanoeuvres in the Hawaiian sector. Last week the navy ^eclared it would not visit this year pnless the racial unrest was placed iUnder control. But the army has dejjffiiitely planned to handle the coloured paces. All the forts are connected jyfith wide concrete highways, which, turn, end in Punehbowl, the erater an extinct volcanic cone overlookHonolulu.

i Into the Crater. I The army plans to drive all colourr ed people into the crater in the evpnt :°t trouble. | There has been a tremendous roll of pnme and viqlence in recent years. fnd justice has bepome a farce. The Javy, for example, in the present Mas||'e case, urges the change of the venue San Francisco "to avoid local inPences, prejudices, and riot fears in Wonolulu." I fri 1928 a Japanese, Miles Fukul®aga kidnapped and murdered an |fmerican youth. Before the police Pde an arrest a vigilant connnittee Wealthy Americans and their sons ,0^ed the authorities' hands with Pohtical issues, and speeded up action. pkunaga confessed, but Honolulu k0Ul'ts failed to register a conviction. • ® trial shifted to San Francisco. lulcunaga was condemned to death. sP whole time the Mongolian press ,as openly anti-American, and funcjs raised to help Fukunaga. s fri cases like the Massie scandal and fukunaga trial, navy and army in- ■ tference with the course of civil isp e Is dangerous. .bverything * is elouded in the inglis cause of a politicai issue. .• ere is no straight-out judicial acas in a British communty.