The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-01-17
JAPANESE IMMIGRATION.

A passage in the annual report of
Frank P. Sargent. commissioner
general of immigration. shows that,
notwithstanding the hubbub of the
Pacific coast in resistance to the in
coming of Japanese. there is some
body. or some interest. out in that
part of the country. not only not
averse to the admission of the Japs.
but actively engaged in promoting
such immigration.
And this suggests what might all
along have been suspected. that while
those opposed to the admission of the
Japs are making good deal of noise,
and thereby giving the matter the
superficial appearance of unanimity,
this appearance is quite deceiving.
and, that there are quiet. but not for
that the less potent. forces at work
on the other side of the proposition.
In due time. and before there is en-
acted any restrictive legislation
against the Japanese. we fully ex-
pect to see this alignment become
more distinctive and open.
1t is by the same token that the
Japanese are not wanted. that they
are wanted. The labor organizations
are the life of the anti-Japanese
movement. they and they alone. for
the present. at least. whatever may
appear to be the dominant sentiment
of The country as whole when the
matter shall come on for final deter
mination. Then, what more. logical
than that employers of labor on the
coast. big and little. should be con-
cerned to have the Japanese come.
Mr.. Sargent says that evidence is
in the hands Of immigration author
tiles showing that some individual or
corporation is engaged in importing
Japanese laborers to work on the rail-
roads of the northwest. The matter
is now under investigation. The
commissioner-general says: tThe
plan is cunnlngly devised and so far
successfully carried out. The Japanese
government will issue passports to
only limited number of its citizens
destined to mainland ports of the
United States. but it is less difficult
for such citizens to secure passports
if going to the Hawaiian Islands.
Numbers of Japanese go to Hawaiia.
destined to hotels kept by labor agents
and claim under examination by i'm
migration inspectors that they have
made no advance arrangements for
employment either in the islands or
on the mainland. and they are not in
any sense contract laborers. After
such aliens are admitted they remain
a few days or weeks in Hawaii. and
then ship to northwestern ports.
Having already been admitted to the
United Statse their voyage thence is
'coastwise. and they cannot be ex-
amined upon arrival at the mainland
port under the alien contract or any
provision of the immigration laws. !"
The opinion is expressed by the COM
missioner general that several thous.
and Japanese were brought to the
United States during the past year. in
violation Of the contract labor law.
If there are those sufficiently con-
cerned for the admission of the ia
panese to secretly invent and execute
ways and means to circumvent the
Immigration laws to get them here,
it is we'll within reason to expect
ano open fight on behalf of the little
brown men whenever it shall become
apparent that restrictive legislation
is imminent.
1t is mistake to think that there
is no pro-Japanese sentiment. even on
the Pacific coast. 1t may be sordid
sort of sentiment. if that be not too
impossible. but it is there. and there
may be precious little more to say
for the contrary sentiment than that
it also is sordid. Council Bluffs
Nonpareil. H