The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-13
KAHN SPEAKS ON
JAPANESE QUESTION
California Congressman Guest
at MiddIesex Club
STANDS FOR STATE RIGHTS
Tells of History of Japanese In This
country-lmportaton of Women
for Immoral Purposes-He
Favors States Rights.
STANDS FOR STATE RIGHTS

Boston, February Ex-Governor Charles
E. Hughes of New York and Congress
man julius Kahn of San Francisco were
the principal speakers at the banquet of
the Middlesex club at the Hotel Bruins
wick tonight. Congressman Kahn spoke
on the Japanese question in California
Mr.. Kahn in opening, said there is no
antagonism in California to the Japan
csc of the better class, such as scholars
professional men, bankers and merchants,
ON the Pacific coats 1.-THE opposition is
entirely directed against the coolie or
laborlng class, said Mr.. Kahn, land
say frankly that the Japanese coolie is
much more feared in California than in
his meek, docile, childlike and bland
counterpart from the vicnage Of Can
ION.
..As a matter of fact, the japanese
coolie did not make his appearance among
us to any appreciable extent prior to the
close OF the China Japan war. Since them
however he has been coming in con-
stantly increasing numbers, and during
the past year he has been landing at
the port of San Francisco at the rate
Of a thousand or more every month. lie
Is not altogether an unskilled laborer,
and almost Immediately after his arrival
in that city he enters into direct COM
petHion with white skilled mechanics.
Our experience with him has taught us
that even where he begins work as an
unskiled laborer he does not stay at
1t very long. He soon branches out IN
business for himself as a contractor,
restaurant keeper florist, or some other
vocation of that kind. Now that, in itself,
Is commendable enough, but the moment
he has put up his sign he begins to cut
the bottom out of prices. AS general
rule he has no family to support-for
the most of the japanese that come to
the United States are males. They are
not accompanied by their wives and chill
dren to any great extent as is the case
with European immigrants.
Immoral Purposes.
in fact, most of the Japanese women
that land upon our shores are brought
here for immoral purposes. And so, since
he has few mouths to feed, and since
he can make good meal on handful
of rice, a piece of dried fish, and cup
of tea. he can afford to, and as a mat
ter of fact, he does sell his commodities
at about one-half the price his Caucasian
neighbor is compelled to charge Under
such circumstances it is small wonder
that there is an cutlery from our shop
keepers and our laboring classes. Cali
fornia by reason of her geographical
location. has to bear the brunt of this
fight Those who do not understand the
conditions that prevail in that state are
stand on the question of Asiatic immi-
grafton But 1t is a case of self-preserva-
ton with u.s. and If conditions were re-
versed and the great hordes of Asiatic
coolies were landed ON the shores of
Massachusetts, you would probably have
an cutlery here compared to which the
protest that comes from California bears
the same proportion that a balmy sum-
mer zephyr bears to a genuine Nebraska
blizzard.
Suppose for the sake of argument,
that Boston We're the nearest port to
Japan, and that your suburbs, even as
they are at present, were the seats of
large manufacturing interests. especially
In the production of shoes and cotton
goods. 1t is an admitted fact that during
recent Years the Japanese have made
marvellous progress in the manufacture
of cotton goods. In the mills now being
operated in Japan the operative received
from 10 to 10 cents a day, with long hours
of labor. and no Sunday rest. After he
has learned how to handle the machine
properly, the Japanese operator feels that
he can better his condition by coming
to Boston, where he can purchase the
commodities he consumes about as cheap
" as he can in his own country. and
where he can we'll afford to work for 40
or 50 cents a day-which is three or four
hundred per cent more than he can earn
on his native heath in the same line of
endeavor.
Productive Field.
"A few of these laborers come over at
first and excite little attention. These
find that the field is a productive one,
and shortly each incoming steamer brings
them in in larger numbers. Gradually
they begin to displace your white labor
ers in the cotton mills. Soon after they
attack your wooden mills, and almost at
the same time they go into your fishing
Industry and drive the fishermen of Glou-
cester to the wall. Your white laborers
find that they cannot, and what is more,
they will not come down to the standard
of living of the Japanese. They soon re-
alize that it is a struggle for existence
between Caucasian civilization and the
civilization of Asia. Which would your
people espouse? Which ought your peo-
pie to espouse? Do you think the cit-
zens of your commonwealth would allow
the white man to be driven out OF the
factories and workshops, or do you think
they would assume the attitude taken by
the people of California on this question?
AN effort has been made to create the
impression throughout the country that
San Francisco had denied all japanese
children admission into her public schools.
No such step has ever been contemplated.
The action of the school board simply
contemplated the consolidation of all
Japanese school children under one roof.
and ii has been generally admitted that
the school provided for these japanese
and other oriental children was equally
IS good as were the schools attended by
white children. The corps of instructors
we're experienced In their work. and conf
i rxrffl he toan f,ara