Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1907-02-15
SPECIAL NOTICE.
VERY REAL MENACE.

Naturally the talk of war with ia
pan is all jingoism, and very poor
quality of iingoism at that. Japan
does not want any war with the
United States for great many years
at least, and in fact does not want
any war with anybody until she some
what reduces her enormous national
debt and gets industrially reorganiz-
ed. AT the same time, the Yellow
Peril as regards Japan is very real
menance. This is made plain by the
report of the Commissioner General
of Immigration who has recently re-
turned to Washington from the Ha-
waiian Islands and who made spe
cial study of the japanese situation in
California
He says that the menace of the
Japanese invasion is not military, but
industrial. The Japanese is not like
the Chinaman. He does not take a
laundry on the corner and stay there
until he accumlates enough money to
return to Japan, but he comes with
readiness to take any position how
ever menial that will give him start
in life, and this once attained, there
is nothing In the way of trade, busi-
ness or profession, that he considers
beyond his reach.
The situation on the Pacific Coast
where in spite of their protests against
social equality they are continually
inviting the coming of Japanese lab
orers is simply this. The Jap comes
to this country and takes position
as laborer, household servant, or
farm hand, and by industry and
frugality, for the nation possesses
both in high degree, he soon obtains
enough money to buy the farm on
which he is working, or another in
the immediate neighborhood, to start
an opposition business as black
smith, contractor, or mechanic of
some sort, or possibly to attend a
professional school and branch out as
dentist, a doctor or lawyer. There
is no denying that the Japanese are a
thrifty and capable people and the
experience of California and the
whole Pacific Coast has been that
where they once get foothold they
stick and are soon the equals, if not
the superiors of the natives in any
business or profession they adopt.
Some of the railroads in the west
are already replacing their laborers,
their train crew, and their dining and
sleeping cars crews with the Japanese
employees so far as they are able to
do it. President James Hill of the
Great Northern is one of the leaders
in this railroad movement, although
he doubtless would deny it if the ac-
cusation were made. The idea of the
railroads is to get as cheap labor as
possible regardless of the fact that
the Japanese once installed they will
not be long in adopting the trade
union system, and they have this un-
pleasant feature in addition to Amer
lean trades union traits, that they al
ways strike without giving notice.
They may be considered an exceed
ingly dangerous factors in American
civilization But the danger will not
come in the probability of war at any
near date, but rather in introducing
into American life race of people
who regard us as barbarians, who will |
never assimilate with the communi-
ties in which they live, and who, all
things considered, are quite our
equals in acuteness, but who will
meyer be reliable factor in the equa-
tion of American citizenship.