The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-06-11


SAN FRANCISCO, May 25.-Here a
the Golden Gate the question of Japan
csc immigration is more acute than al
any other place in the Union. To this
port a large majority of the japanese
in the United States have come. Here
/ the American Asiatic Exclusion League
| is conducting the movement for a law
which will as effectually debar the
japanese and Koreans from coming
to America as the Chinese Exclusion
Act keeps out the Celestials. Here are
published the Japanese daily news
papers which reflect and mold the
opinion of the Japanese in America.
Here is the most prosperous city colony
of Japanese on the continent, and from
San Francisco tha-large rural japanese
population of California is financed
and recruited. Despite the prohibition
of Japanese immigration from Hawaii,
and despite the Toxic promises of re-
strictiOn. the Japanese population of
San Francisco is steadily increasing.
All talk of war between the United
States and Japan, the agitation of the
exclusion question, and all kindred is
sues grew directly out of the clash
between the Japanese and the white
people in San Francisco. The city
authorities directed that the Japanese
pupils in the public schools should at
tend the separate school maintained
for people of Monaghan descent. The
japanese pupils refused to accede to
the ruling and appealed to their govern
ment at Toxic. The diplomatic cor
respondence between the two countries
hrao
and the war clouds thickened While
anti-Japanese demonstrations, riots
and boycotts excited the stricken city
of San Francisco.
Just what Japan said to- the govern
ment at Washington is still profound
secret. But events have justified the
rumor current at the time that the
situation was strained almost to the
point of rupture of diplomatic re-
lations The President sent Secretary
Metcalf to California with instructions
to threaten and appeal He did both.
When the Metcalf report was trans
mitted to Congress the President sent
with it a brief message which he con-
cluded with this sentence: Il author
lied and directed Secretary Metcalf to
state if there was failure to protect
persons and property, then the entire
power of the federal government, with
in the limits of the Constitution, would
be used promptly and vigorously to
enforce the observance of our treaty
the supreme law of the land, which
treaty guaranteed to Japanese resi-
dents everywhere in the Union full
and perfect protection for their persons
and property; and to this end every
thing in my power would be done, and
all the forces of the United States,
both civil and military, which 1 could
lawfully employ, would be employed"
This threat of the federal government
to use the civil and military forces of
the nation against the sovereign state
of California caused a great hue and
cry. But even many of those who
criticized the President severely at
that time for his action now praise
him for having so conducted the affair
as to avoid war at a time when the
United States was hopelessly unpre-
pared for the issue. The coming to
cation headed by the notorious Mayor |
Schmitz, the fury of eloquence in |
Congress. and the wild talk of the |
jingoes in Japan is all a part of the |
history of the time.
to the entreaties of the government at |
and did not insist on the |
exclusion of all Japanese pupils from |
the schools. public opinion being pla- |
Gated by the exclusion of the men of |
mature age who had been in classes |
with little girls These grown pupils |
were the cause of the trouble and when |
the cause was removed the situation |
was relieved and the anti-Japanese
movement dropped in intensity from
acute to subacute.
Then, as luck would have it, the
loyal subjects of King Edward VII
in British Columbia took up |
sticks and stones and proceeded there
with to belabor certain loyal subjects
Of King Edwards Imperial ally, the
Mikado. This proved very embarrass-
ing to Japan, and Toxic began to be
much milder in the tone of its Utter
lnces.
This review of the beginning Of the
agitation of the japanese question is
If momentous significance when con-
'idered in connection with subsequent
events. Since that time the United
states has transferred the greater por-
ion of its naval force from the At
antic TO the Pacific Ocean. That there
s any relation between these things
nay be denied by official Washington
)ut, then. did not official Washington
leny that the fleet would go to the
Pacific at all? This same official
denies that the fleet will
tay in the Pacific, but. Since the
ime that the President sent a mes
age TO Congress jumping on the Cali
ornians for their attitude toward the
Japanese there has been a strong
movement for japanese exclusion
aw. This agitation has been kept SUBJ
merged by official pressure because of {
he effort being made to bring about
peaceful settlement of the question s
which would save the face of the Jap {
nese under the most favored ma
ion agreement. II
The same Japan which was so
threatening when the school question {
rSt arose has since consented to re- {
trct immigration to America if no
bill be passed The agree
1ent was accepted, but the Japanese
ontinue to come in. The laxity of the /
japanese officials in enforcing the re-
friction agreement has been the sub $