Evening star., 1901-11-11
Regulating Chinese immigration to
Philippines,
APPROVAL OF SECRETARY OF WAE
Expediency Of Extending United
States Law Discussed.
GEN. M'ARTHUR'S VIEWS

regulation of the immigration Of Chinese
into the Philippine Islands. The main OBJ
ject Of the notifications suggested is the
better enforcement of the immigration laws
of the United States as applied to the Phil
ippines. When these laws were first put in
operation by General Otis in 1898 it was
! provided that bona fide Chinese residents Of
the Philippines who might leave that coun-
| try would be allowed to return upon the
production Of the required legal certifi-
Gates.
The principal changes recommended by
Governor Taft are that the privilege Of re-
turning to the islands be limited to pc
riod of one year ard a half, and that this
| privilege be wholly denied to all Chinese
| who left the islands during or before 1898
and VINO have not since returned. No par
ticular date has been fixed for putting into
effect the Chinese regulations modified,
but they will hardly become operative for
nearly month to come. Secretary Root
only acted In the matter about two weeks
ago. and his action was communicated to
Governor Taft by mail.
Inasmuch as it was not thought neces-
sary to make this matter the subject of
cable instructions it is not possible for the
civil authorities in the Philippines to re-
| ceive official information of the action Of
the War Department for three or four
weeks at least.
d
! this is the only action that has been taken
affecting the regulations for Chinese i'm
migration in the Philippines, and no iii
formation has reached here to show any
unusual immigration of Chinese at Ma
| nila, as is reported in dispatch from
| that city a few days ago.
Gen. MacArthur's Report.
General Macarthur, formerly military
governor of the Philippines, in his last re-
port to the War Department, made the fol-
| lowing statements in regard to the diff
culties of enforcing the Chinese immigra-
ton laws in the Philippines:
"The enforcement of the immigration
laws is at present in charge Of the customs
service, which in the last year was charged
with the application Of these in the case
| Of more than % 900 Chinese entering ard
leaving the islands, in addition to a large
number Of other immigrants of different ma
| tionalities. The present facilities are made
quate to the needs OIL this branch, the re-
quired inspection frequently having to be
made on board ship
The system is unsa atisfactory,~ and an i'm
| migration station Is needed where immi-
grants can be landed and a systematic ex-
animation had of them and their belong
ings. By moderate outlay government
property at the mouth of the Pasig river
could be adapted for this purpose.
Need of Foreign Labor.
"The extension of the immigration laws
of the United States to the archipelago
without substantial exceptions and modifi-
cations to meet local conditions has proven
of doubtful expediency. Especially is this
so with regard to the provisions of the con-
tract-labor law
THE situation as existing here does not
require the protection which this law was
designed to afford to the residents of the
United States. 1t is essential for the mer-
camille houses Of foreign ownership located
here that an1DlOVeS he secured
abroad.
This cannot be done without employer
and employees entering into contract that
is within the letter of and forbidden by the
United States law. These employees are
sential to the development of commerce,
and without them business of all kinds
tion with the native residents, and their
exclusion can subserve no beneficial pur-
pose, but may, by it's enforcement, serious
ly retard the growth of business and the
development of the islands.
The local requirements are so different
from those prevalent In America that
there is need for change in the existing
immigration regulations of the United
States before their application here
Gen. Macarthur was, however, like Gen.
Otis, vigorously opposed to unrestricted
Chinese immigration into the Philippines.
In his report, above quoted, he says of the
Chinese:
Menace of the Chinese.
are with inexhaustible fortitude and de-
termination, If admitted to the archipelago
in any considerable numbers during the
formative period which is now in process
Of evolution would soon have direct or in
direct control of pretty nearly every pro-
ductivc interest, to the absolute exclusion
alike of Filipinos and Americans.
This view is stated with considerable
emphasis, unmistakable indications are
apparent of organized and systematized
efforts to break down all barriers, with a
view to unrestricted Chinese immigration
for the purpose of quick and effective ex-
ploitation of the islands; policy which
would not only be ruinous to the Filipino
people, but would in the end surely defeat
the expansion of American trade to its nat
ural dimensions in what is obviously one
Of its most important channels. In this
connection 1t may not be improper to state
that one of the greatest difficulties attend
ing military efforts to tranquilize the peo-
pie of the archipelago arises from their
dread of sudden and excessive exploita-
tion which they fear would defraud them
of their natural patrimony and at the
same time relegate them to a status of So
cial and political inferiority.
Reiterated assertions to the effect that
native labor in the Philippines is unreliable
must be accepted as coming almost exclu-
sively from Europeans, who primarily are
exploiters, pure and simple, and, as such,
have absolutely no interest in the islands
beyond the immediate realization of enor-
nous profits. Under the old system the
wages of labor were too small to establish
anything like a sense of self-interest on the
part of employees, and, as a consequence.
solicitude for the interests of EMPLOYERS
did not exist. and workmen,. as a rule were
Indifferent as to their own constant em-
ployment. and had little concern about the
future, their own wishes or Interests
were never consulted.
American experience so far as public en-
ployes are concerned, has not confirmed the
declaration Of the Europeans. On the con-
trary 1t has been found that when proper
ly paid. the Filipino is precisely like any
other man and holds on to good place by
reason of fidelity and faithful service
Regulations RiEidly Enforced.
TN view OF the foregoing premises. the
military administration has rigidly enforc-
ed regulations excluding Chinese immIgra-
ton from the islands; not in a spirit Of
hostility, but In pursuance of instincts of
MISREPRESENTATION. individually, China
man represents unit Of excellence that
must always command respect and win ad-
mtratton. but in their organized capacity
In the Philippines the Chinese represent an
economical army without allegiance or at
taehment to the country. and which, to a