The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-06-08
THE JAPANESE MUST CO
Agitation on the Pacific Coast
to Restrict immigration.
CRY YELLOW Peril" "

Census OF 1851 TO oo,OOU at fTeS-
ent Time--No More Desirable as
Neighbors Than chinese-Japan-
ese lntolerant Of the Whites.
The adoption by the California Leg
stature of a concurrent resolution OPP
osing the further unrestricted imml-
ration of the Japanese, and calling
Jon the national government FOR pro-
ction by treaty or otherwise, is the
utcome of an agitation begun by the
California press.
The Japanese problem says the
Chronicle" lis no longer to be ig-
nored. 1t has been but lightly touch
ed upon heretofore now it is pressing
upon California and upon the entire
United States as heavily and contains
as much of menace as the matter of
Chinese immigration ever did, If, in
deed, 1t is not more serious, socially
industrially, and from an international
standpoint. 1t demands consideration.
This article shows that since 1880,
when the census noted japanese
population in California of only SO,
not less than $4,000 of the little brown
HGD nave Cbllt W blllS oNtlNN anu ~
mained here. At the present day the
number of Japanese in the United
States is very conservatively estimat-
ed at 100000 immigration is increas-
ing steadily, and, as in the case of the
Chinese, it is the worst she has that
Japan sends us The Japanese Is no
more assimilable than the Chinese,
and he is no less adaptable in learn
ing quickly how to do the white mans
work and how to get the job for him.
self by Offering his labor for less than
white man can live on.
Japan is intensely intolerant CT
the white man who visits her in any
other capacity than that of the curio-
buying traveller Industrially she has
neither room nor welcome for the for
eign devil from this side of the PACT
fic. 1t would seem to be about time
for us to take a leaf out of the Jap
anese code of self-protective patriot
ism"
California has a population Of
million and half people. The popu-
lation of all the Pacific coast States
is, comparatively speaking, insignii-
cant. We shall not be able at the
present time to impose our beliefs
about Japanese exclusion upon the
people of the nation-eighty millions
of them-who have been carefully
'ducated to believe the Jap charm
ng little hero. We do not say this
4 discouragement Of those who desire
restriction of Japanese immigration.
Ear from it, Let them by no means
lalt in the work of arousing public
sentiment. But. on the other hand. it
is foolish not to recognize what the
facts of the matter are. 1t is absurd
to go into the fight blindly ignorant OF
the nature and extent of the pro-
Japanese sentiment that is to be over
come
I'VE all know that the ordinary Jap
Is neat clean, personally pleasing
little fellow. We don't want to eX-
clude him because he is immoral or
because he sells his labor (snce It is
more conveniently through contrac-
tor. The reason we must exclude him
is in order to preserve intact our Oc-
cidental civilization. The Jap may be
our moral superior. In manners he
may excel us. His philosophy of life
may be better one than ours Yet,
since self-preservation is the first
law of nature, we are impelled by that
immutable law to preserve our in
ferior selves.
1T matters not If the Jap were an
angel Of light-if he could live cheap
er and did not racally assimilate, he
would have to go. AS matter Of
fact, the Jap, while personally far
more pleasing that the Chinese, is
tricky, dishonest liar, and unreli-
able, whereas the Chinese is usually
honest, truthful, and dependable But
that has little to do with the case
What we must base all arguments
upon is the great and eternal truth
that two races, unassimilable, cannot
occupy the same land together in
peace.
1--WE have expressed the opinion
that no exclusion law is possible.
There is, however a possible solution
of the problem without it. It may
very likely happen that the Japanese
Government itself, cognizant of the
growing agitation in this coast, and
undesirou9 of sacrificing the friend
ship Of America for the slight national
advantage to be gained by unrestrict-
ed emigration, will put a check upon
emigration OF Japanese for few
years, at least, until the Japanese peo-
pie recover fully from the drain of the
present war and are in a position to
take a strong attitude toward this
country. Then, indeed, we shall have
a problem, New York Mail