The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-11-04
YELLOW PERIL ON
THE WESTERN COAST
Agitation for Exclusion Of Japanese Reaching Central
Stage-Feeling Against Them Strong.
BY IRA T.. BENNETT.
BY IRA T.. BENNETT.

!, and made life undesirable for the Por
/ tugese and other laborers, Now tn
9 Hawaiians are anxious to get rid G
the Japs, who are pouring in an
e making themselves exceedingly offen
sive. Since the .Russo-Japanese wa
> the little men are very conceited.
: is no uncommon thing in Hawaii. an
{ even in California, to hear a Jap boas
) that the Americans dare not exclud
: him. He is sure his country coul
J whip the United States or any othe
t country This is fine sentiment, alb
stractly considered. but its avowal OF
. frequent occasions In mixed company
is not conducive to peace on earth.
Some japanese newspapers com
mented in bellicose way upon the dis
like Of japanese In Hawaii. and hav'
, advocated the sending OF gunboa
or two to Hawaii to bring the Ameri'
cans there to a realizing sense of tn,
power OF Japan.
The Hawaiians do not appear e
have been daunted by these manifes'
tations. They do not like the Japan
ese, and they say so very plainly
Nevertheless more japanese are land
ing in Hawaii than ever before. The
difference in the situation is that wher
as formerly the Japs remained in the
islands TO work in the canebrake. they
now stay at hotels awaiting the next
steamer that will convey them to San
Francisco Once having been examin-
ed at the port Of entry. Honolulu, they
are mere costwise passengers upon
their a-ri-.a, at San Francisco, and are
not uLGor he Jurisdiction of the immi
grant inspectors. 1t is said that the
inspection Of japanese immigrants In
Hawaii Is not as strict as II should be
that many diseased and otherwise
Objectionable persons are admitted,
who subsequently enter the mainland
of the United States without protest.
The Hawaiian sugar planters are
now importing other than japanese
laborers to work on the sugar PLAN
tations. They tried Porto Ricans, but
the islanders did not thrive. Now
they are trying Portuguese again, and
a cargo of 1895 Portuguese from the
Azores is on the high seas bound from
Fayal for Honolulu. japanese labor Is
being displaced as quickly as possi-
BILE.
The immigration reports show that
over 1900 japanese entered the Unit
ed States in 1905, and the number
arriving in 1906 will greatly exceed
that number. More than half the Japs
came under the flag at Hawaii. As
no account is kept Of passengers. ar
irving form Hawaii, 1t Is impossible
to tell what proportion of the $500
japanese arriving at Hawaii last year
continued their journey to California.
The number was very large. This
year the japanese by way Of Hawaii
have been larger than ever before.
Every steamer from the islands brings
its contingent Of the brown men some
times several hundred at time.
The time has not arrived when hos
tile demonstrations are made against
the japanese, but it is sure to come,
in the opinion Of people on this coast,
If the immigration is not lessened.
Mutterings against the Japs resemble
those which preceded the outbreak
against the Chinese years ago The
greatest resentment Is expressed by
laboring men and those representing
them. These people pay no attention
to international comfy and treaty
obligations" If they think foreigner
and particularly an Oriental, Is work
ing for less wages than themselves,
they are likely to try to remedy the
situation by the most convincing ar
gument known to them, which Is cor
poral punishment and threats Of death.
Possibly the feeling is most intense
in those laboring people who are them
selves recently from foreign lands.
The Japanese government has re-
peatedly declared 1t Is not anxious to
see an increase of immigration to the
United States. 1t stated this position
before the war with Russia, and has
stated 1t since more emphatically, by
pointing out that the development Of
Korea and Manchuria requires the
presence of japanese and gives suffi-
cient outlet for the surplus population
Of the empire.
Nevertheless there is little doubt but
that the system Of assisting emigrants
still exists in Japan, with the cog
nizance if not the support of the gov
ernment This system was in full
swing five years ago, and nothing mas
occurred to cause its discontinuance
or lessen its profits. There were IL
emigration companies in Japan five
years ago, with an aggregate capital
stock of 55S,999 yen, all operating
under the laws called "Imin Toriat-
sukinin" and practically under govern
ment patronage, as are nearly all large