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


twenty-eight primary or grammar schools
and two high schools were destroyed by
fire, and one high school was destroyed by
earthquake, leaving forty-five schools. Since
April eighteen twenty-seven temporary
structures have been erected, making the
total number of school buildings at the
present time seventy-two.
The oriental school, the school set apart
for the Chinese, Japanese and Korean chill
dren, is in the burned section. There is
only one japanese student attending this
school at the present time, and there are
no Japanese children attending any of the
other public schools. I visited the oriental
school in company with the Japanese con-
SUI and found it to compare favorably with
many of the new temporary structures
erected in the city. The course of instruc-
ton is exactly the same at the other
public schools, and competent teachers are
assigned for duty ia this school. Nearly
all of the pupils attending this school have
to be taught the English language.
Sentiment Strong Against japanese.
It will be absolutely impossible for chill
dren residing in the remote sections OF the
city to attend the oriental school. The con-
ditions in San Francisco are such. owing
to the great conf1agration, that 1t would
not be possible even for grown children liv-
ing at remote distances to attend TINS
school. If the action of the board STANDS
then, and If no schools are provided in ad-
dition to the one mentioned, it seems that
a numb Der of Japanese children Will De pre-
vented from attending the public schools
and will have to resort to private lnstfuc-
ton.
l found the sentiment in the state very
strong against Japanese young men attend
ing the primary grades. Many of the peo-
pie were outspoken in their condemnation
of this course, saying that they would
take exactly the same stand against Amer
lean young men of similar ages attending
the primary grades. am frank to say that
this objection seems to me a most reason
able one. All of the political parties in
the state have inserted in their platforms
planks in favor of japanese and Korean
exclusion, and on March Z, 1903, the state
legislature passed a joint resolution urging
that action be taken by treaty or other
wise to limit and diminish the further i'm
migration of Japanese laborers into the
United States.
The press of San Francisco pretty gen
orally upholds the action of the board OF
education. OF the attitude of the more vlo
lent and radical newspapers it is unneces-
sary to speak further than to say that their
tone is the usual tone of hostility to Mon
gol hordes,' and the burden of their claim
is that japanese are no better than Chinese,
and that the same reasons which dictated
the exclusion of the Chinese call for the
exclusion of the japanese as we'll.
The temper and tone of the more conser-
vative newspapers may better be Illus
trated by an epitome of their argument
upon the public school question. That ar
gument practically is follows: The pub
lie schools of California are state and not
a federal institution. The state has the
power to abolish those schools entirely, and
the federal government would have no
right to lift it's voice in protest. Upon the
other hand, the state may extend the priv
ilege of It's schools to aliens upon such
terms it, the state, may elect, and the
federal government has no right to oues-
ton it's action in this regard. Primarily
and essentially the public schools are de-
signed for the education of the citizens O.
the state. The stats is interested in the ed
ucaton of it's own citizens alone. 1t would
not for a moment maintain this expensive
institution to educate foreigners and aliens
who would carry to their countries the
fruits of such education. Therefore, If 1t
should be held that there was a discrmi-
nation operating in violation of the treaty
with Japan in the states treatment of Jap
anese children, or even II a new treaty
with Japan should be framed which would
contain on behalf of Japanese subjects the
"mostfavored- nation clause. this could
and would be met by the state, which
would then exclude from the use Of its
public schools all alien children of every
ucaton to children of its own citizens, for
whom the system is primarily designed and
maintained, and if the state should do this
the federal government could not complain
since no treaty right could be violated
when the children of Japanese were treated
precisely as the children of all foreign
nations.
The feeling in the state is further inten-
sifed especially in labor circles, by the re-
port on the conditions in the Hawaiian
Islands as contained in bulletin &c of the
bureau of labor, Department of Commerce
and Labor. The claim is made that white
labor has been almost entirely driven from
the Hawaiian Islands, and that the Japa-
nese are gradually forcing even the small
white traders out of business.
Many of the foremost educators in the
of fha OF hny hoy, c+r ,,rrlyr
posed to the action of the San Francisco
board Of education. japanese are admitted
to the University of California, an institu-
ton maintained and supported by the state.
They are also admitted to and gladly well
coined at Stanford University. San Fran
cisco, so far as known, is the only city
which has disseminated against Japanese
children. l talked with number of promi-
nent labor men and they all said that they
had no objection to Japanese children at
tending the primary grades; that they
wanted Japanese children now in the
United States to have the same school
that they were unalterably opposed to
japanese young men attending the primary
grades.
The objection to japanese men attending
the primary grades could very readily be
met by simple rule limiting the ages of
all children attending those grades. All of
the teachers with whom 1 talked while in
San Francisco spoke in the highest terms
VI lIC odpStHeSe tiliuIeil, saying t1dt IHey
were among the very best of their pupils,
clearly in their persons, we'll behaved,
studious and remarkably bright
The board of education of San Francisco
declined to rescind its resolution of Octo-
Der II, claiming that, having established a
separate school for Chinese, Japanese and
Korean children, the provisions of section
1862 of the political code became manda-
tory.
Boycott.
boycott was maintained in San Fran
cisco from October to October "a by mem
bers of the Cooks and Walters Union
against Japanese restaurants doing bust
ness in that city. Nearly all of the lead
ers of labor organizations in San Fran
cisco, interviewed on this subject, dis
claimed any knowledge of any formal &C
ton being taken for the boycotting Of these
restaurants. They admitted, however, that
there was a decided sentiment in the unions
against patrOnizing japanese restaurants,
and that that sentiment was created and
fostered by speeches in union meetings and
by personal action of the different mem
bers, with the object of not only prevent
Ing union labor men, but the public as well
from patronizing these restaurants.
The secretary, also the busir ess agent,
of the Walters Union, Local No. 80 head
quarters at 1895 Scott street, San Fran
| cisco, said that no resolution against jap
anese restaurants had been past by their