Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-12-19
Assaults

talns nf police tai make every effort
10 accomplish the purpose. The cor,
respondence between the Japanese
consul and the chief of police and the
acting mayor OF the city Is hereto
attached and marked "EAhibit T." ~
33).
deemed IL best In order 10 get ut
the IA facts. 10 tab" the state
m"nts Of the Japanese who claimed
To have been assaulted. These ate
mcnts were taken at the ~Japantsr
consulate in San Francisco by Mr.
J y. Med Gardner. inte' prefer In thu
immigration service at San Francis
60. and MIR. X, Kawasakl. a japanese
student In the senior class Of tn"
University of California,
Ir q, Omori. VI III. Imperial Ini-
versity Of Toxic. one If the worlds
most distinguished scientists. and. as
stated b, Prof. George Davidson. Of
the University OF California. one Of
the greatest living authorities IN seia-
biography. sent to San Francisco by
the Japanese government 10 study tho
causes and effects ~ the earthquake.
was stoned by h00dlumS In the streets
of San Francisco. Prof. T. $akamu.
ra. professor 0f architecture In the
Imperial University Of Toxic. was
also stoned In the streets Of San
Francisco by young toughs and hood.
lums. DIR. OmOri was also assaulted
when Visiting Eureka, Cal. Neither
Of these eminent gentlemen made for.
NAL complaint Of these assaults, ana
wished that no official recognition be
taken of them, attach hereto cop,
of letter Of Professor Davidson. call
ing the attention Ut III" press of San
Francisco to these assaults. as also
copies Of letters of Il" postmaster OF
San Francisco. the mayor OF San
Francisco, the governor Of the state.
and the mayor Of Eureka. expressing
their great regret for tl;cs" assaults
and apol0gizing that they should
have been made. See Exhibit r" ~
81.
know that these assaults upon the
Japanese are universally condemned
bv all good citizens Of California, Fox
months the citizens "f San Francisco
and Oakland have been t~"yrori"zd by
numerous murders. assaults and rob,
berries. both at day and night Tn"
police have been powrrlcss. The as
sauIts upon the japanese, however,
were not made. In my Judgment. with
a view of robbery. but rather from 4
feeling Of racial hostility. stirred up
possibly by newspaper accounts of
meetings that have been held at vari.
Gus times relative 10 the exclusion of
Japanese from the United States.
The police records Of San Francis,
co show that between May 6, 1906
and November :, 1906, go cases of
assault. ranging from simple assaults
to assaults with deadly weapons and
assaults with murderuos intent, we're
reported to the police of San Fran.
cisco. or the number so reported
seven r for assaults committed by
Japanese. and two complaints were
made against Japanese for disturbing
the peace, The Japanese population
in San Francisco Is about G,n0n. The
total population of San Francisco to.
day Is estimated 10 be between 325.-
400 and $4,000,
While the sentiment Of the state IF
California. AS manifested nv the nuh.
lie u%tterances of the Japanese and
Korean Exclusion League. by article
in many of the leading newspapers in
the state. by declarations of the Do.
litical parties In their platforms. and
by the passage Of a joint resolution
by the state Legislature on March :.
1905. Is in favor Of the exclusion of
Japanese coolies. yet the overwhelm-
ing sentiment In the state is for law
and order and for the protection OF
Japanese in their persons and their
property.
The chief of police OF the city of
San Francisco. as also the acting
mayor OF the city. assured ME that
everything possible would be done tc
protect the Japanese subjects in San
Francisco. and they urgently request
ed that all cases of assault and all
violations OF law affecting the Japan-
csc he at once reported 10 the chief
OF police.
impressed very strongly upon the
acting mayor Of the city, as also up
on the chief of police, the gravity c.