The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-30
THE INTRUSION OF JIHEI
HE TELLS AN EDITOR ABOUT THE
JAPANESE QUESTION.
A Show OF val0r n q Message OF Peace
From Seattle Finds the City Favorable
TO the Japanese. Though There Are
Customs OF which He Doesn't Approve.

10 the japanese, Th0uBn Tnero are
Customs OF Which He Doesn't Approve.
SEATTLE. June 25.-Seattle is full OF my
oc untrymen. Everywhere one walks in
tlss city he Is bound to come across with the
Japanese. The southern section OF the
business district Of Seattle is altogether
Japanese.
Especially the Washington. jackson and
Main streets are strewn with stores, res
~taurants. cobblers' shops and what not, all
kept by my countrymen. And l naturally
feel as il | were in my own native country.
But the Japanese are not necessarily con-
fined in this southern section. which the
citizens of Seattle call the japanese town.
In the hotels. hardware stores, soda water
fountain stands and in various other estab-
lishments owned by the natives here one
would find the Japanese attending in the
capacities of bell boys. walters. clerks and
many others.
A we'll informed japanese here, the pro-
prietor OF a japanese daily he, told me there
are about 5000 Japanese In all Seattle. Six
thousands are. to be sure. only twice as
many as three thousand, which is the size OF
the Japanese community in New York. But
the ratio of the number of Japanese in New
" ~ lhAl NhAN W. NAhAAcS ~ -'N'
is far smaller than the ratio of the number
of japanese in Seattle with the whole Seat
tleans, 80 that whereas one does not notice
so many Japanese in New York. scattered
as they are in the four corners of that city,
in Seattle he does notice so many OF them
that he would naturally think that Seattle
must have many more than twice az many
Japanese az New York has.
IN f.-. l., ,A--a a-a ,,nrr ~ EnATn
than 10, GOO Japanese throughout the State
Of Washington. Some of them work in
sawmills, others on railroads. still others
ON farms and elsewhere. And they make
their occasional visit OF Seattle on business.
for pleasure. thus swelling the japanese
population Of Seattle.
To learn what is the attitude Of the Seattle
Americans toward the Japanese went to
see the proprietor and chief editor Of the
Seattle Times.
Are you the editor Of the TimeS?'
made an intrusion upon him while he was
oonversing with his friend and his son,
the assistant editor-in-chief.
Yes. | am. What is it you want?' came
the answer in a stentorian voice like that OF
a lion
Evidently he was somewhat vexed by
my intrusion and wished to scare me out
Of his Office. But | was not scared OF him;
/ was more than equal to the situation.
Said /:
Il came here from New York the day
before yesterday. ] wish to speak with
you for a minute or two, il you can spare
your time
well, what is it you want to speak with
rae about2'
The editors gray hair stood erect. his face
as he turned il to me showing signs OF dis
turbed spirit. But | held the lion by the
name and ! looked with q look with which
| pierced him through to his heart.
Il want to know what your attitude is
toward the Japanese question"
/ thought | spoke plainly enough. but the
man did not get what | said clearly. and
replied:
MY what?'
Then his son. who was standing by.
butted in:
-Oh. father, he asked you what your atti-
tude is toward the Japanese question
We'll, you go TO our city editor Here"
he eyed to his son, you take him to the
city editor"
But his son and | told him that | got
through with the city editor.
"0h, you got through with him. did you?
Well, our attitude toward the Japanese
question. is Peace!'-w1th an emphasis
Il am glad TO hear OF that. sir. That is
also my attitude. Az ] stated in what |
wrote Tor your city editor. We Japanese
know that the American people are generally
friendly toward US. Only some of our
countrymen at home may have misunder-
stood the situation presented by the San
Francisco Incidents
Il tell you. you've got some OF those
Socialists in our country, just as We have
Id this country. They just simply are
trying to bring trouble between your coun-
try and ours
well, | don't know whether you could
call Viscount TAM a Socialist. You must
know Visoount TAM is n rather narrow
minded man who doesn't Know anything
about West. He ONLY wants, TO preserve
things japanese 10 the exclusion of things
Western. He even organized a society for
the preservation of good national charac-
teristics Of Japan. He is nothing but a SOL
der
The editor cut me short and said:
We'll, whatever he may be, he is a So
cialist in the sense that he makes trouble
for the country
There was no disputing about this line
of argument. On the advice of his son
the editor gave me his card. Ii said, Alden
j. Blethen. Some one told me Blethen
was a Colonel in the U. s. Army. ! do not
wonder why he makes such a big noise as
he does.
Il hope wound up the conversation,
shat there will be some sort Of society
where the Japanese and the Americans can
come together TO befriend themselves"
Col. Blethen's son called my attention
TO the letter from the Asiatic Association
OF Seattle, which was lying on the Colonel's
desk. The Asiatic Association, the son
said. was organized for the very purpose
of which ! spoke. The vice-president Of
the association is Judge Burke, an infuen-
tial man in Seattle affairs.
heard OF him on our n. P. train in com
ing here from my fellow traveller, Mr..
Brooks, who came TO Seattle from New
York in order TO put up the statue Of Seward
for the Alaska Yukon Exposition occasion.
Judge Burke is the man who hired this
architect, Mr.. Brooks. As ny brother and
| were walking together on the Second ave-
nue. we met Brooks and Burke coming
toward us. Brooks introduced me to
Burke. Burke invited me to come TO the
Burke building 10 see him.
So in the afternoon on the day | had the
conversation with Col. Blethen | called
on Judge Burke at his Office. He is a little
man. Unlike Col. Blethen, Judge Burke
,n.al,o anf,ly Nth a emilia IN bIa far