The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-02-06

San Antonio, Tex, Feb. 6.-To the
negro and Mexican laborers of the
southwest part of Texas the yellow
PERIL is no longer a mythical buga-
boo, but a stern reality which already
threatens their livelihood. Within
the last few months hundreds of Jap
anese have crossed the Rio Grande
and the yellow stream is rapidly he
coming a fiood Last month the steam
ship companies operating between ia
pan and Mexico brought ever more
hal ten thousand Japanese workmen
for Mexican contractors, and it is like
ly that within a hort time a large
majority of these will find their way
to Texas. Hundreds of the little vel
low men have found employment in
this city as coachmen, stablemen,
household servants, cooks and laun-
drymen, replacing negroes and Mexi-
cans. 1t is ia that the Japs not
only demand smaller pay but that they
are much more satisfactory. The ne
groes of the city have held severa
mass meetings to protest against the
Japanese industrial invasion, n Sc
rious rouble between the black and
yellow men, Involving this country in
international complications, ma re
suit from the friction.
For years the negroes of San Anto-
MO, as the other southern cities, have
had a monopoly of the domestic labor
supply, receiving an average of about
So per week, in addition to board and
lodging. The laps a taken the
same jobs at 81 N So a week, eat
much less, sleep in barns and tents
and are better servants. The Japan
csc have also largely s%upplanted the
Mexicans as section hands on the rail
roads, the Sunset route employing a
large gang and other railways a small
er number. The ~"greasers' were paid
$1.35 a day and the Japs are receiv-
ing $1.15.
Most of the Japanese here live in
the negro quarter in the vicinity of
the Sunset station and the yellow men
are frequently subjected to assaults
and indignities by the blacks. So far
the Japs have made little resistance
to their negro oppressors, but it is
feared that their patience will sooa be
tried beyond endurance and that a
serious riot will result. The negroes
declare that it is a question of driving
the Japs from the city or of starving,
and that they do not intend to starve.
Most of the Japanese now here were
brought to Mexico under contract to
work il the coal mines and deserted
that employment to come to the Unit
ed States, which they look upon as
the land of promise. While most of
them ire common laborers, there is
a sprinking of skilled mechanics, in
Guiding engineers, machinists n ell
ectricians, and their number is con-
stantly increasing. They are willing
to work for less than half the wages
hat an American mechanic of SINH
lar ability would demand, and unless
the invasion is stopped it is likely
hat all the engineers and mechanics
in southwestern Texas will be replac-
GU by JdpS WllnII d lew years. III
labor unions of this district are alive
to the danger and have petitioned the
Texas members of Congress to assist
| the California delegation in securing
the passage of a strict exclusion act.
All the little brown men here are
and the customs of the country and to
satisfy this desire a school exclusively
for japanese, the only one of its kim
in this country, has been established
il San Antonio by L. Nogi. a Jap who
was formerly engaged in fruit growing
in. Palestine, Texas. Nearly two
score adult Japs are now attending
this school and with their industry and
application will likely become full
ledged "MeIcans" in a short time.
| Nogi has also established an employ
ment agency in connection with the
school, with the intention of placing
the graduates on farms throughout the
| State.
A suspicious circumstance connect
ed with the Japanese invasion of Tex
as is reported from o Bliss, where
three Japs r employed by officers
at the post were discovered to have
been officers of the Japanese army
They were discovered making plans
and memoranda of the fort and its
equipment, and Immediately after
wards disappeared.
It is estimated that an average of
twenty Japanese ros the Rio Grande
to Texas every day of the week, and
this average is constantly increasing
vita far greater skill than the ne