Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1907-02-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regula, Correspoudeut.


From Our Regular Correspondent.
A number ofsensational papers
have been trying hard this week
to prove the imminence of war
between this country and Japan.
Of course, the public school case
in San Francisco is still unsettled
and there have been q number of
Japanese held up recently blythe
immigration inspectors on the
Pacific coast for violation of the
alien contract labor law. Alto
gethsr things are notso placid as
they might be between this coun-
try and Japan, and the yellow
papers have taken pains to mag
Nifty every incident and to insist
that not only is war imminent,
but that both this country and
Japan are preparing for it by
Strengthening their armies and
navies, and making other prepar
ations for a sanguinary conflict.
Denials OF these stories have been
given out both at the W h i t e
House and at the War Depart
ment, but the mere fact that the
government took the trouble to
deny them only served to lend
them a color of possibility.
The situation is simple a n d
might as we'll be explained so
no one else will lose any sleep O.
yer the prospect OF an immediate
yellow invasion. Japan has no
more idea OF war with this coun-
try than we have OF a war with
England. Relations have been
somewhat strained, not between
the two governments, but be-
tween the mass OF the Japanese
population and the residents of
the Pacific slope who regard the
Japanese much as the people of
the South regard, negroes, and
who want none OF them except
as laborers on the railroads and
farm hands. Both the govern
ment OF this country and that of
Japan are fully alive to the situ-
alton, and efforts are being made
now to adjust matters satisfac-
torily by treaty so that there
will be no Japanese exclusion act
passed shutting out the j a p s
from this country on the same ba
sis as Cinnamon are now exclu-
ded..
Much has been made OF the re-
ported activity OF the Japanese
in Hawaii, where it was declared
they had already perfected a mil
litary organization, and were
ready to capture the island as
soon as the signal should be Civ
en- by their home government.
Commissioner OF immigration
Sargent has recently returned
from Hawaii, and a prominent
Hawaiian planter, Lorin Thurs
ton, is now in Washington, on
business with one of the depart
ments. Both OF these gentlemen
have given out statements fully
covering the situation in Hawaii,
and agreeing in all essential de-
tails. They say there is a popula'
ton OF about 10000 in the Ha.
waiian islands and that the plant
ers wish there were more. They
are necessary as field hands and
laborers and are the only source
1of labor supply, as Hawaii is en-
tirely cut off from European I'M
migration. Nevertheless these ia
panese are not allowed to remain
in peace in Hawaii where they art
} wanted, but are being continual
lily enticed to the Pacific coast by
I immigration agents who thrive
by hiring them out to the rail
roads and big ranchmen of Cali
fornia, Washington and Oregon
There is q scarcity OF labor OF
the coast as there is over much 0
this country just now and Will
1.-THE Californians do not want tn
Japanese inthe;r schools and d.
1