Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-18


ing their maintenance threats have been
made and acts of violenc have been COM
mitted. Pickets have been stationed in
front of the restaurants and the names
even of customers entering the restaurants
have been taken down and reported.
L saw the chief of police, as also H. II.
Colby, captain of police in charge of the
district in which most of the Japanese res
by both of these officers that soon as
their attention was called to the disturb
ances on Sd street officers were detailed
at each Of the Japanese restaurants at
each meal hour, and that the officers were
instructed to arrest II any violation of the
law was committed, and that after the
off1cers were so stationed there were no
disturbances or violations of the law.
The chief of police assured me that every
effort would be made by him to protect
the Japanese restaurants in San Francisco,
and that all violators of the law would be
promptly arrested and punished. The act
ing mayor of San Francisco also assured
me that he would cooperate with the police
department of the city and would see that
everything possible was done to protect
japanese subjects and prevent violations
OF law
1 am satisfied, from inquiries made by
me and from statements made to me by
the japanese restaurant keepers, that the
throwing of stones and breaking of win
dows was not done by the men picketing
the restaurants, but by young men and
boys who had gathered in front of the
stituted.
Assaults Made.
There follows in the report a detailed list
of the assault cases that Secretary Metcalf
had personally Investigated. There were
nineteen Of them and they ranged from
broken windows and pelting with decayed
fruit to instances of assault and battery.
None Of them resulted in serious injury.
The report continues:
These assaults, SO am informed, with
but one exception, were made when no po-
liceman was in the immediate neighbor-
hood. Most Of them were made by boys and
young men; many of them were vicious in
character, and only one appears to have
been made with a view Of robbing the per-
son attacked. All these assaults appear to
have been made subsequent to the fire and
earthquake In San Francisco, and my at
tention was not called to any assaults made
prior to the 18th Of April, 1906.
DIR. F. Omori Of the Imperial University
of Toxic, one Of the worlds most distin-
guished scientists, and, as stated by Prof.
George Davidson of the University of Cali
fornia, one of the greatest living authorities
In seismography, sent to San Francisco by
the japanese government to study the
causes and effects of the earthquake, was
stoned by hoodlums in the streets Of San
Francisco. Prof. T. Nakamura, professor
of architecture in the Imperial University
of Toxic was also stoned in the streets of
lums DR.. Omori was also assaulted when
visiting Eureka, Cal Neither Of these emil
nent gentlemen made formal complaint of
these assaults, and wished that no official
recognition be taken of them l attach
hereto copy of a letter of Prof. Davidson
calling the attention Of the press of San
Francisco to these assaults, as also copies
of letters of the postmaster of San Fran
cisco, the mayor of San Francisco, the gov
ernor of the state and the mayor of Eureka,
expressing their great regret for these as
saults and apologizing that they should
have been made. See exhibit F (p. 36).
Il know that these assaults upon the jap
anese are universally condemned by all
good citizens of California. For months the
citizens of San Francisco and Oakland have
been terrorized by numerous murders, as
saults and robberies, both at day and night.
The police have been powerless. The as
saults upon the Japanese, however, were
not made, in my judgment, with view of
robbery, but rather from a feeling of racial
hostility, stirred up possibly by newspaper
accounts of meetings that have been held at
different times relative to the exclusion of
japanese from the United States.
1.-The police records of San Francisco show
that between May 6, 1906 and November o,
1906. 29O cases of assault ranging from
simple assaults to assaults with deadly
weapons and assaults with numerous in
tent, were reported to the police of San
Francisco. OF the number so reported,
seven were for assaults committed by Jap
anese and two complaints were made
against Japanese for disturbing the peace
The Japanese population in San Francisco
is about 5000. The total population OF San
Francisco today is estimated to be between
325, 600 and $4,000.
''While the sentiment of the state Of Cali
fornia, as manifested by the public utter
aneeS of the Japanese and Korean EXclu-
sion League, by articles in many of the
leading newspapers in the state by declara-
tons of the political parties in their plat
forms, and by the passage of a joint reso-
luton by the state legislature on March 7,
1905, is in favor Of the exclusion of jap
anese coolies yet the overwhelming senti-
ment in the state is for law and order and
for the protection of japanese in their per-
sons and their property.
THE chief of police of the city ofSan
Francisco, as also the acting mayor of the
city, assured me that everything possible
would be done to protect the Japanese sub
iects in San Francisco, and they urgently
requested that all cases of assault and all
violations Of law affecting the japanese be
at once reported to the chief of police.
II impressed very strongly upon the act
ing mayor of the CITY,. as also upon the
chief of police, the gravity Of the situation,
and told them that. as officers charged with
the enforcement of the law and the protec-
ton of property and person, you looked to
them to see that all japanese subjects resi-
dent in San Francisco were afforded the
full protection guaranteed to them by our
treaty with Japan. 1 also informed them
that If the local authorities were not abe
to c0ra with the SITUATION, or II tney were
negliA Mt or derelict in the performance Of
their duty then the entire power Of the
federal government within the limits of the
Constitution would be used, and used
promptly and vigorously, to enforce observ-
ance of treaties. which, under the Constitu-
ton, are the supreme law of the land and
to secure fit and proper treatment for the
people Of a great and friendly power while
within the territory of the United States.
IF, therefore, the police power of San
Francisco is not sufficient to meet The stua-
ton and guard and protect Japanese resi-
dents in San Francisco, to whom under our
treaty with Japan we guarantee full and
perfect protection for their persons and
property" then, 1t seems to me, 1t is clearly
the duty of the federal government to af-
ford such protection. All considerations
which may move a nation, every considera-
ton Of duty in the preservation of our
treaty obligations, every consideration
prompted by fifty years or more of close
friendship with the empire of Japan, would
unite in demanding, it seems to me, of the
United States government and all its peo-
pie, the fullest protection and the highest
consideration for the subjects of Japan.
Respectfully submitted.
"V. H. METCALF."
$4,000, 900 r. r. STATION.
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