The Washington herald., 1908-06-02
cial Correnondence The Washington Herald

aAAAN " Dtlll G4N5NB EtNNe - 49, 49,
the Pacific Coast States are wrestling
with race question. Unlike the South,
the West shares its problem with coun-
tries in all parts Of the world. The con-
flict between the civilizations and the In
stitutions of the Orient and the Occident
has become a worldwide Issue. 1t has
already caused the bloodiest war OF mod
ern history. it may yet be the cause OF
war. the wrecking Of empires, and the
making over OF the maps OF the world.
The letters OF religion and age-long
custom which have held Asia in leash for
centuries are being broken. The Chinese
are cutting of their queues. The Hindu
no longer believes that his soul is
eternally damned II he crosses the ocean.
The Japanese has adopted every pro-
gresslve method known to the world. The
Asiatic is taking his place in world af-
fairs. and wherever he goes he insists
upon maintaining certain moral and
racial Ideas which are so radically diner
ent from those of Europeans and Amer
leans that friction is inevitable. The
Chinese. japanese, and Hindus, taken to-
gether. outnumber all the white people
On earth by considerably more than two
to one. But the white man has the ad-
vantage over the Asiatie in wealth and
health. and the means for acquiring the
one and protecting the other.
Wherever Asiatic laborers have gone
into a white community there has been
trouble. 1t is more than thirty years
since the Chinese question became acute
on the Pacific Coast, The japanese and
Hindu question is now paramount, the
Chinese issue having been settled by eX-
clusion. But there is great difference
between the problem OF thirty years ago
and that now being worked out. Then
Asiatic emigration was exceptional and
depended upon stimulation from outside
by labor contractors. Now Asiatic emil
grafton is constant. and comes from the
desire Of the Asiatics to find place to
work where the struggle for existence
will not be so nearly hopeless.
SO II comes that our own Pacific Coast
is in the same box with Canada. Austria
liza. New Zealand. South Africa, German
Africa. Chile. and Brazil. The British
Empire is torn by a dissension more
serious than Il has known for half a
century-its white colonial subjects abso-
lutely refusing 10 admit their Asiatic
fellow-subjects to their colonies. New
Zealand Australia. and South Africa bar
the Hindu as well as the Chinese. West
ern Canada has protested forcibly against
Japanese and Hindu. The fact that the
( Hindu is a subject OF King Edward VII
is no argument at all 10 the British CO.
loniaL He demands the credentials OF a
white skin. The ancient kinshlp OF India
and Europe does not mean anything 70
the Australian who stands up and swears:
This IS white mans country
With India bubbling with revolt with
English colonies at dagger's points with
! England's ally. Japan. and with English
Oriental trade being threatened by Orien-
tai competition. II Is apparent that this
worldwide race question is OF the utmost
Importance 10 the future OF the British
empire. The English people understand
the gravity OF the situation. and they
are working with characteristic caution
and skill toward a solution OF it's more
veXing phases. The British have had
enough experience 20 understand that
race questions are never finally settled
Notwithstanding the fact that London
never draws the color line.
/ The American public. as a whole. by
no means understands the problem or
/ the Pacific Coast IL Is 20 be doubted Il
/ the people OF other sections Of the country
/ ever will come 20 look upon the question
as the people out here do The South
/ has very prositive ideas on its race ques-
/ ton which are rejected IN other parts OF
/ the country. but which are accepted anc
emphasized by the citizen Of another. sec.
I ton who removes 10 the South. Party
politics. OF course. has had much to do
/ with the general attitude toward IN,
/ Southern race question. but even aside
/ from that the people OF North and West
do not understand the Southerners point
Of view.
The Westerner IS In the same category
I He fears the encroachment OF the Asiatic
and he resents 1t with the instinctiv,
force OF self-protection. He may reason
4 the question with a show OF logic. or hC
may go IL blind. The result is Just tn,
same. the reasonable and the unreason.
able alike unite and declare: This is q
white mans country"
/ The American States on the Pacific
Coast have less than 2,5OO,OOO population
II they were as thickly populated as Eu,
I ropean countries. according to theil
arabic area, they could support NOR,
/ than 100000 people. II the Asiati,
density were approached they could sup
port nearly 2OO,OOOOOO. This magnificent
/ empire can take care OF 100000 Amer.
] inano IFsfn.- l.,
which is the highest standard Of exist
/ ence known 10 man.
] 1t is to defend this great country thai
\ the people of the Pacific Coast States are
shouting the slogan: This is a white
mans country" 1t is to save this coun.
try fo- the propagation of American
/ ideals and Christian standards as OBJ
posed TO the morals and religions OF the
/ Orient, that the people here are demand.
| ing that all Asiatic immigra ton be stop
| ped by law. They have already seer
more than one American village trans
| formed by the Asiatic invasion. They
have seen the morals OF the typica
/ American small town corrupted b,
Asiatics. whose gambling tables anC
/ opium dens have led TO things muci
worse. things all but unknown TO the
American small town. They have seer
rural communities OF prosperous farms
utterly demoralized by the influx Of
Asiatics. Where there was once a few
neat farm houses guarding the broaC
acres of American homesteads, there ar,
now dozens Of miserable novels, in which
swarms OF Japanese live. crowded to
gether like sheep. No recountal Of the
| triumphs of progressive Japan, however
/ truthful, is able to blot out that picture
The people Of the Pacific Coast ar,
sometimes ridiculed because they fea
that the Asiatics will overrun thei
country and endanger American insti
! flIfinns The Pacific Coast neonle ranlv