Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1907-09-13
HINDUS DRIVEN OUT
WERE FILLING WHITE MEMS
Jobs AT BELLINGHAM, WIN.
hundreds Were Routed Out of Town
Some Went North and Some Went
south-It is Feared Trouble viii
Cause International Complications
State May Have to Pay Damages.

While no information Of an official
character has reached the state de-
nartment as yet concerning the sum-
mary and violent expulsion of Hindus
from Bellingham, Wash, recently
II is confidently expected that if the
facts are as reported in the press, Am
hassador Brice will soon be heard
from. The British government takes
nride above all things in protecting
the lives and property Of its subjects,
so it is expected that as soon as the
British consular officer, who is report
ed to be looking into the matter, has
completed his investigation and com
municated with the summer home of
the British ambassador at Intervale,
N. H., formal complaint will be lodged
with the state department
The state department is always en-
barrassed 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, and even the United
states courts, are not clothed with the
authority to enter the confines of
state, even to protect foreigners in
their treaty rights.
All that the state department can do
in such a case as that at Bellingham
is to follow the well-worn precedents
established in Wyoming, Louisiana,
California and elsewhere in cases
where foreigners have been mobbed or
killed. That is, the department, in the
name of the president. may address
the governor of Washington, transmit
ting, perhaps, the complaint of the
British embassy, if there should be
one. and requesting him to take steps
to prevent recurrence of the trouble.
Such appeals have generally been eff
fective and doubtless would be in this
case. Probably the claims for dam
ages sustained by the individual Hin
dus who were beaten, or driven away
from lucrative employment, will be
preferred.
If the aggrieved individuals care to
do so they may bring civil action
against the municipal authorities at
Bellingham in the local courts, just
as the Japanese restaurant and bath
house keepers have done in San Fran
cisco.
Report at Seattle.
Seattle. Wash.-Practically all of
the Hindus who were driven from, Bel
lingham have sought new locations.
ABOUT 40 reached Seattle next day. A
large party lett for Los Angeles and
other southern cities, and others
sought protection in BritisheColumbia.
Advces from Bellingham state that
the town does not contain solitary
Hindu at this time.
Bernard Pelly, British vice consul in
Seattle, with jurisdiction over the en-
tire state. has not yet been officially
notified of the hostilities toward these
British subjects, demonstrated at Bel
lingham.
Considering the method adopted by
the people of Bellingham to these sub
iects of their community, surprise is
expressed here that the matter has
not been referred even indirectly tc
the British vice consul.
"All that | have heard Of the Bel
lingham incident is what I read in the
newspapers" said Mr.. Pelly
The party that arrived in Seattle
did not make charges of violence
against the Bellingham people, bul
claim that they were given to under
stand that they should not remain
there in competition with white labor
in the mills