The San Francisco call., 1908-08-07

RtSaFulng the statements made in
the Examiner this morning and in
several of the San Francisco papers
last week. l have the following to say.
Nothing else is authorized:
came to the Pacific coast in behalf
or the immigration commission, as ]
have at various times stated to the
papers, TO look into the work of the
subcommittee which is Investigating
the industrial conditions on the coast
with reference to the effect of the i'm
migration of the various nationalities
the home life Of the immigrants and
other matters which will serve to throw
light on the question of immigrat ton
and immigrants on the Pacific coast
have visited Los Angeles, Fresno and
San francisco on this mission to con
Ter with the agents of the commission
at work in the field, and | have con-
suited especially with Professor
Mitchell, who is in general charge of
this investigation. This industrial
investigation, now being carried on in
various parts of the United States, is
the most extensive and decidedly the
most important investigation under
taken by the commission.
Although the papers have not seen
mt to refer to this work except in
passing, this has been my main work
on the coast. Anything else has been
relatively speaking. incidental. The
papers have dwelt mainly on a matter
which had very little to do with the
work of the commission, but which
from its nature could not be neglected
and afforded more spicy reading and a
better field for the use of the imag
ination.
ASSISTED BY CHINESE
An employe who has been working
for me for more than a year in various
parts of the United States, Chinese
sumably the man referred to at various
times in the papers as Moy Keel, was
sent here by me shortly before my ar
rival to make certain confidential in
nfrsS.
Similar inquiries are, of course, made
regarding other nationalities; and
these inquiries have been urged and
assisted by the most reputable Chinese
and are in no way detrimental to the
Chinese. 1t is desirable that the COM
mission know the living conditions of
the Chinese as well as of the other
immigrant natfonalities.
When / reached San Francisco, to my
great surprise, / learned that a price
of $4,000 had been offered for the life
OF this man. apparently by certain
criminal Chinese, who feared that he
was here 10 interfere with them The
evidence that this offer had been made,
and furthermore that the Chinese
hatchetmen We're actually on the hunt
for him, was, and to my mind is, con-
elusive. Even if the evidence had been
less strong the matter was too grave
to permit serious risks. There was no
thought on the part or Charley Kee or
myself or of any one who knew the cir
cumstances that either the Six Com
panies or any OF their officials or the
head men of any of the leading tongs
were in any way connected with this
murderous offer, and the Chinese con-
sui and others with whom l COM
municated on the matter were assured
repeatedly of this fact.
1t seemed that the best way to pro-
tect this man was to ask the assist
ance of the Chinese consul and of the
other leading Chinese by giving them
the general statement of the case and
asking them to make clear to their
people the grave consequences that
might follow if an employe Of the fed
eral government were assassinated by