Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-06
the element that is most bitterly opposed
to oriental immigration.
No Official Advices Received.

While no information of official char
acter has rea ched the State Department as
yet concerning the summary and violent
expulsion of the Sikhs from Belingham
Wash, yesterday. it is confidently expected
that. If the facts were as reported in the
press, Ambassador Bryce will soon be
heard from. The British government takes
pride above all things in protecting the lives
and property of It's subjects. 50 1t is eX-
pected thai as soon as the British consular
officer. who is reported 10 be looking INTO
the matter. has completed his inVeStiga-
ton and communicated with the summer
home of the British embassy at lnterVale,
n Fl. formal complaint VIII be lodged with
the State Department 1t is believed that
the task of investigating this matter wouid
fall upon Oscar kloCker. the British vice
consul al Port Townsend. as being PROB
ably the nearest consular officer to the
scene of the incident
The State Department is always embar-
raised in dealing with incidents Of this
character owing to the fact. to which the
attention of Congress has often been called,
that the national government. ana even the
United States courts. are not clothed with
the authority to enter the confines OF Il
state even to protect foreigners in their
treaty rights. All that the state Depart
ment do in such case as that at Bel
lingham is to follow the we!l-worn prece-
dents established in Wyoming, IN LOUISIANA
and California and elsewhere in cases where
foreigners have been morbed or killed
that is. the department. in the name OF the
President. NAV address the Governor OF
Washington transmitting perhaps the com
plant of the British embassy. If there
should be one. and requesting him TO take
steps to prevent a recurrence OF me
trouble Such appeals nave SCherally pceh
effective and doubtless wouid be III TINS
case Notwithstanding the racial fSelns
which appears 10 have been engendered and
which always adds very much TO the DIM
Guilty of the officials in adjusting matters on
q proper basis.
Claims May Be Filed.
Probably in the end claims fer damages
sustained by the individual Hindus VINO
were beaten or driven away from lucrative
emnIoyment will be preferred. If the az
priryed individuals care to do SO, they maJ
bring civil actions against the municipal
authorities at Rcllingham III the local
courts just as the japanese restaurant
and bathhouse kceDers have Gone IN san
Francisco and undoubtedly the state De
nartment would very much prefer that TINS
course be followed. If however. owing to
local antipathy on the part of white people
of Beilingham to the hindu colony,
should be found impossible to secure JUS
tice at the hands of the local jud ciary,
then as vas done in the case of the muir
derous attacks unon the chinese at ROCK
Sprinss Wgo and upon the Italians in
New Orleans some years ago. the executive
will recommend to Congress that lndemnl-
ties be paid to the victims OF assault
The British government. for It's part Is
likely to find itself embarrassed IN G1allNE
with the Bellingham incident because OF
the very present danger of similar attacks
upon the East Indians. who are numerous
in British Columbia. so that If this case IS
presented with undue strength and insist
ence, the precedent established might be
troublesome to the imperial authorities. II
they in turn are called unon 10 pay dam
ages for injuries to persons and property
sustained by the Hindus-wno are, after
all, British subiects-at the hands OF Brit
sh colonists.