The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-17
ny FREpEnIc y. HAs1k1N.
VANCOUVER. y.

Vancouver, y. e.
The Immediate cause for friction
among the people OF British Columplu
and Japan mas been removed by tho
agreement OF the Japanese government
to stop the emigration OF japanese la :
Dor to British Columbia. But tine
finder OF race antagonism IL stil here,
and the SPARK needs only to be appned.
Wlrie japan has promised II Ieslilct-
10 Sauuua. just az sue IL, :,
promised II to the United sta:es, II all
depends upon the te.pStAity vi tile
present Japanese Ior.lsn poIicy as to
whether that spark shall be applied OF
not. Vhr party In TIE ascenuancy at
this time may continue to rule Japan
for years to come. and again 1t may
lose It's hold on the government Ut any
time. The opposition party in Japan
anese to go where they please and
when they please. SO that II Is not
certain that the question Will always
remain down.
Just at this time tho main agitation
in British Columbia Is over tho right
OF the Japanese to vote. There are
some 5000 Japanese IN tho province,
and half OF them have become natural
lied. and are British subjects. One
seventh OF the population Of Vancou-
be allowed to vote when they arc
naturalized? And shall any more of
them be naturalized? IT Is the old.
old race problem over again, a problem
that shows itself wherever alien races
aspire to domination. The anti-Japa-
nese point out that an oath Is meaning
less to the Japanese workingman. Ihey
say that 1t represents no more to MIN
than the changing OF his costume the
changing from the currency OF nippon
to that OF Canada, or the changing OF
the style of his necktie. They claim
to have discovered evidence that the
Japanese government keeps a careini
record of the whereabouts OF every
Japanese in foreign lands. and tnat
whether naturalization has laKsh
place or not, they Will ever be READY
10 respond to the call OF their native
land.
Vancouver is a composite city. here
YOU may be surrounded with every evil
dence OF being in the heart Of an up
to-date, twentieth century city OF ao.-
three blocks and you will find your.
self apparently in the very heart OF
Pekin. a few more blocks Will take
you into what might be part OIL
Tokyo. So far as the foreign element
is concerned 1t shows tho heaviest pro.
any city on the American continent
Located on the southwestern shores
of British Columbia. at the western
terminus OF the great Canadian Pacitic
Transcontinental Railroad. and the OBJ.
iective OF the second transcontinental
line. Vancouver is city OF progress.
It is the northern gateway from the
Eastern to the Western world. Tribu-
tary to 1t is the vast undeveloped ter
ritory of British Columbia. Canada
is looking forward to the complet.oha
OF the Panama Canal. when 1t can LOAD
ships at Vancouver and send them
to the food centres of the world. Per-
shaps three fourths OF the wheat grown
on Canadian soil lies tributary to the
Pacific rather than to the Atlantic.
A new country with only 800 oo people
wonder is 1t that the Japanese. the
Chinese and the Hindus should desire
to leave their crowded lands where
bare living is the most laoorer can
hope for, and go to land OF so much
promise.
For years there had been small
stream Of immigration from Asia to
Canada, but It was not enough to DIS
turb the people OF the western ha!l OF
that country into fears for their final
supremacy. A few years ago England
made treaty with Japan whereby the
Japanese laborer was as free TO go 70
the United Kingdom as the Brit
tsh worlSingman is to como to Ameri :
ca. But this treaty did not include
Canada and the other Safeguarding
colonies. Immigration Of Of Ja japan. e
year. When the Russian Japanese War
was over Canada began to see pros
pects for great commerce with the
Orient. and her ministry wanted to
make the most of those opportunities
SO they entered into diplomatic CORE
spondence with Japan. Offering, in re-
turn for certain trade ADVANTAGES; TO
become a third party to that English
Japanese agreement.
Japan. seeing that she would have
everything to gain and nothing to lose
promptly accented the proposition, and
at once the Japanese began to come
in droves. Not only did Japan itself
send It's thousands, but owing to the
cheap wages in Hawaii. the japanese
halfway house to America. there We're
as many more coming from there
Then the Chinese We're coming in at
rapid rate. and to make matters worse
Hindus from India began to come IN
herds The people OF British Columbia
began to have close range view OF
the yellow peril. Long before the out
istry hadc repented Of It's bargain. Al AZ
though far more out of sympathy with
British Columbia than Washington was
with the Pacific Coast In Its trouble,
the Canadian government realized that
there were dangers ahead Of the new ! y,
anything. Then the British Columbia
Legislature passed an exclusion. act Of
Its own, which was vetoed BY the VI
tawa authorities. Shortly after came
the outbreak caused bv the tans1ple
danger Of being swamped by an alien
The outbreak at Vancouver first
started against the Hindus They are
not alien in nationality, for they are
the Kings own subjects But they arc
aspirations. To the native Canadian
they are not one whit better than the
coolies Of Japan and China, They
are Described as the COOLIES of Cal
cutta." They are the lowest class OF
Hindus, and friction. results wherever