The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-06-08
PORTLAND AND
THE JAPANESE
What Haskin Says of Change
of Sentiment in That
City.
advertiser Correspondence, Copyright
by Frederic J. Easkin.)

membered that in 1905 the people OF
this city held the most successful of
latter day expositions. At this MEM
orable fair, which had a total attend
ance double the entire population Of
the States of Oregon, Washington and
Idaho at that time, particular defer
ence was paid to the Japanese and
Orientals in general. The exchange
of courtesies between the exposition Of
ficials and the japanese representatives
was most cordial, and the japanese
were absolutely the most popular of
all visitors, receiving even more at
tention than notable guests from the
eastern states and Europe.
At that time the japanese, both resi-
dent and transient, accepted this def
erential attention most graciously, but
today this is all changed. Now the
Japanese of everyday life in Portland
affect the extreme in American cos
tune, take the middle of the side
walk, and demand in an ostentatious
W dy that dilShliciI WHICH, " o-o 1OA A4ACl
ly given them so willingly. Proper al
lowance would undoubtedly be made
for these cocky manners if the faults
of the Japanese ended there. But their
unpopularity is not due to such a
trivial cause. The indictment against
them is of much more serious char
acter. In discussing the japanese
question on the Pacific Coast, the
senior member of one of the leading
insurance firms in Portland, said:
None could have been more friend
ly in their inclinations toward the
Japanese than our firm was a few
years ago. We thought their coming
here was just the thing the country
needed, and we received them with
open arms. But we have had our eyes
thoroughly opened by this time. Our
experience with them has been so
write any Japanese insurance risks
whatever, but when a Japanese firm
or family moves into a building that
We have insured we Immediately can
eel the policy"
The gentleman went on to say that
while the action of his firm in refusing
all Japanese business was an extraor-
binary proceeding, its experience had
been such as to leave them no other
course to pursue. To have a reputable
business firm, one that was savoWedly
friendly in the beginning, take such
a stand against them, is indeed a
stinglng arrangement against the COM
mercial morality OF the japanese. The
reader may well draw the conclusion
that the members of any race who
create such a reputation in a commu-
nifty where they have been received
in the best of faith, will likely doom
the aspirations of their country to be-
come one of the greatest powers of the
world
Innumerable instances may be given
to show how the attitude of Ameri-
cans toward the Japanese has changed.
He makes an excellent first impression,
but by getting better acquainted with
him one invariably learns that the lit
tie brown man is an empty diplomat.
He assumes honesty, but just when
one feels sure of him he proves a dis
appointment. In giving an account of
a purchase he made from a Japanese
chinaware dealer, a prominent Portland
citizen said
He took particular pains to show
me with his lead pencil that each plate
was solid, and called my especial at
tention to one nicked saucer that was
cast aside. 1 was so impressed by
his seeming honesty that 1 willingly
made the purchase. As l went away
/ felt that the general charge about
the dishonesty of the Japanese must
be unfounded. Imagine my disgust
when / got home and found my wife
in a high state of dudgeon because
fully half of the plates were nicked.
Now that Japanese laughed in his
sleeve and considered himself clever
by taking advantage of the chance to
cheat me. He evidently did not stop to
consider that the dishonest gain he
made by this single transaction will be
more than offset by the fact that he
will lose all my custom hereafter
Moreover, my experience with him will
put me on my guard against all Jap
anese in future, so his paltry profit was
really gained at the expense of his
countrymen everywhere
There can be no doubt that thu bad
reputation the Japanese are acquiring
will prove costly to their commercial
interests in general. There is already
a large falling off in the demand for
japanese fancy goods and novelties
which We're so popular in this coun-
try a few years ago. While the pass
ing of the fad for things Japanese
may have contributed to the decrease
in the demand for them, the more di-
rect causes for their decline in popu-
laritv are their f1imsv quality and the
dishonest methods of Japanese dealers.
Honesty is the best policy in business,
and the japanese will have to learn
this great truth or they will never
realize their ambition to become a
great trading nation. While it is true
that there are Americans. both at home
and abroad. who engage in question
able business methods, the cornerstone
of our great commercial system is fair
dealing. and the majority of our mighty