Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-04
EXCLUDING CHINESE
Question Now Being Taken
Up by. England.
INVASION {. OF AFRICA
THREATENED COMPETITION
WITH THE KAFFIR IN THE MINES
British Views Regarding the Employ
ment of Monaghan Labor in the
Tropics-The Philippines.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

1t Is uSual Tor Americans to believe tnat
the Chinese exclusion question is peculiarly
OF nome origin, arising primarily from the
agitation by white labor on the Pacific
coast. This is far from being the case, for
Chinese exclusion is such an old-establish-
ed institution in the administration Of the
worlds affairs that certain well-recognized
principles nave been evolved, and are ad-
hered to even by those advocating Chinese
LABOR under some conditions.
1t is believed by British administrators
that the United States was fully right in
excluding Cinnamon from territory on the
North American continent but that Sc
rous error was committed in excluding
Chinese labor from the Philippines, and
that in very short time the Americans
will discover there is work to be done and
no one to do it; hence the islands will re-
main undeveloped and a burden upon the
national administrative power.
In British Tropical Colonies.
In the British tropical colonies the China
man is freely admitted. The Dutch Malay
possessions exclude the Chinaman and force
the natives to work by a system of driving
and control which practically amounts to
slavery, hence never could be adopted by
the United States Even under this system
the native labor Is not equal to Chinese
labor. In the Philippines, where as long
as the United States is in power labor Will
be voluntary. entire dependence is to be
placed upon the development of the native
product.
In the centuries during which Europeans
have controlled the Malayan peoples Ger
tain maxims have been evolved the princi-
pal of which is that mo native will take
upon himself a greater burden of labor
than may be necessary for the satisfaction
of his wants" These wants being extreme
ly few and simple. no dependence can be
placed upon them to furnish regular or
adequate supply of manual labor such as 1s
required for the development of tropical
industry. This is the position taken by
every American employer in the Philippines
today in spite of the guarded utterances to
the contrary of some of the politicians
For twenty years an Englishman. W.. A.
migration department in the Straits Settle
ments, and the protector of the Chinese in
that colony No alien has better knowl-
edge, not only of the value Of the China
man, but as to his proper place In the
world In relation to civilized white men.
When asked his opinion to whether the
Chinese should be admitted to South Africa
Mr.. Pickering said
The Chinese Immigrant.
1.-The Chinese immigrant is accused, with
only too good show of probability, of i'm
porting certain nameless vices into his new
domicile Thirty years experience OF the
Chinaman in his own country, or as an i'm
migrant, in Siam, the Straits Settlements.
Malay States and Dutch possessions
is Just as we'll founded is the statement
that the Chinese immigrant uses chopsticks
and wears queue. AS far as the law pro-
tects him in acquiring wealth. and from his
own unruly countrymo n, and as long as 1t
docs not interfere too much with his preju-
dices and superstitions, the Chinese immi-
grant is law-abiding. There can be no
doubt that the majority of the immigrants
are sober, frugal and Industrious, and II
only the material prosperity of tropical
country is concerned, they are invaluable.
Most of my life has been spent in init
mate acquaintance with these people. and
for many years 1 have labored In fostering
the immigration of Chinese into the Straits
Settlements, Malay States and the Dutch
possessions in Sumatra; but l have always
felt it my duty to protest against their in
PRODUCTION into any country containing a
resident laboring population of European
extra ction, where the climate renders 1t
possible for men OF the higher breed to
keep their health, and to multiply and rear
their children.
Would Exclude From Africa.
81 have always sympathized with
Australian coonists in their desire to resist
the influx of Chinese immigrants, and when
asked by the late President General Grant
nv opinion as to the value of Chinese as col
onists in the United States, 1 could only
advise their admission as contract laborers
on the transcontinental railways, to be sent
back to their own country as soon as their
work had been perIOTIleu we nave, dICer
unparalleled sacrifices, brought to sue
cessful issue a just and unavoidable war,
during which the nation has been accused
of being actuated mainly by our lust for the
gold reefs of the Transyaal. The loudly
professed desire on our part now Is that
the whole of the Cape Colonies and states
shall settle down and prosper by the united
efforts of an industrious and God-fearing
population of white men-Dutch, Anglo
Saxon and others-all living together under
one flag IT, however, the desire for SUI
perior and more amenable domestic ser
wants should force on the government the
introduction of a moral plague into South
Africa in the shape of Chinese immigration,
then we shall indeed be placing formid-
able weapon In the hands of the disloyai
Afrikander Bond, and shall deserve the un-
dying hatred of the Beers, who now appear
| inclined to bury the past and settle down to
enjoy the advantages they have a right to
| expect from incorporation with our COM
monWealth ~ 80
1t should temper the Irritation shown by
Minister WI during he4dscusson of the
Chinese question in Washington last winter
If he was to look still further abroad and
recognize that while his fellow countrymen
had their sphere Of usefulness, there were
| limitations arising from national character
istcs which barred them from certain por-
tons of the earths surface. These restric-
tons were devised long before the United
States fell heir to the problem and have
been imposed through the experiences and
reasoning of the dominant and most intelli-
gently progressive peoples of the earth, re-
CARELESS of political divisions.
The population of China has recently been
ascertained to be 426,000.000 souls. With
| such overwhelming numbers to draw upon
no emigration movement could be checked,
| and those who were interested in securing
| contract, or coole, labor would have no
difficulty in getting all the material neces-
| sary to control the labor situation in any
| country where the Importation of the China
man was unrestricted.
| Jamaica is a near example of an attempt
| to educate an ignorant and shiftless popula-
| ton into prosperity. The attempt has failed.
| The natives have smattering of education
| and it has ruined them SO far as responsible
| ity and ambition are concerned. The ba-
| mana industry was a failure until Chinese
| coolies were imported. They do not lower
| the tone of the natives, for that would be
| impossible. They do what the natives will
not do, take advantage of the opportunity
| to work Through the use of coolies in ia
maica the great fruit industry of Boston
| has grown to what 1t is. If Jamaica had
| belonged to the United States this industry
would not have been developed, for coolie
| labor was necessary feature.
A British Writer'S View.
! British administrators familiar with the
/