The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-06-19

to their arabic area, they could sup
port over 100000. 900 people. If the
Asiatic density We're approached they
could support nearly 100000, 900. This
magnificent empire can take care of
fifty million Americans, living in the
American fashion, which is the high
est standard of existence known to
man.
1t is to defend this great country
that the people of the Pacific Coast
states are shouting the slogan: This
is white mans country" 1t is to
save this country for the propagation
of American ideals and Christian
standards as opposed TO the morals
and religions of the Orient, that the
people here are demanding that all
Asiatic immigration be stopped by
law. They have already seen more
than one American village transform
ed by the Asiatic invasion. They
have seen the morals of the typical
American small town corrupted by
Asiatics whose gambling tables and
opium dens have led to things much
worse, things all but unknown to the
American small town. They have
seen rural communities of prosperous
farms utterly demoraIfzed by the in
f1ux of Asiatics. Where there was
once few neat farm houses guarding
the broad acres of American home
steads, there are now dozens of mis-
cradle novels in which swarms of
Japanese live crowded together like
sheep. No recountal of the triumphs
of progressive Japan, however truth
full, is able to blot out that picture.
The people of the Pacific Coast are
sometimes ridiculed because they fear
that the Asiatics will overrun their
country and endanger American insti-
tutions. The Pacific Coast people re-
ply: I'VE have seen the evil worked
out in small villages and farming
communities here. We have seen it in
Hawaii. We are not afraid of the
failure of the white mans civilization
if it opposes the Asiatic. But it must
fight to maintain it's supremacy. That
is what we do when we seek exclusion
y.
Those who think we overestimate
the danger should consider the case
of Hawaii. Those islands were in
habited by a simple aboriginal folk.
The English discovered them but the
Americans were first to introduce the
ideas of modern civilization. The race
suffered greatly by the disease and
the alcohol which came in with the
white man, but it was soon able to
conduct a government along the lines
of modern occidental nations, it adopt
ed the English language and the
Christian religion. There was no more
reason why it should not have been
occidental in civilization than obtained
in America, for the aborigines could
oppose no civilization of their own
to block the coming of the American
ideals.
Now look at Hawaii. It's great in
terests are still in the hands of Amer
leans, but it is by a mighty effort that
the encroachments of Asiatics in the
business world are being resisted. AS
for the social life of the islands-it is
no longer occidental. The prevailing
religion of this territory of the United
States is Buddhism. Fifty years ago
it was Christianity. The language
most used in ordinary social life is
japanese
Hawaii is still resisting the Asiatic
influence, and is today the bumper be-
tween the civilizations of the East and
West in the Pacific Ocean. But in the
fight Hawaii has suffered much. The
Pacific Coast states do not propose
to permit the problems which disturb
Hawaii to be transplanted to the main
land"
A man of high official rank who has
lived in Japan and China for many
years, and whose opinion would have
added weight if his name could be
used said: THE fears of the Pacific
Coast states are fully justified. If
there were no effort on the part of
the United States to prevent it, China
and Japan would send so many people |
to America that in five years the coun- |
try west of the Rocky Mountains |
would have as many Asiatics as
Americans"
The differences between this race
question which is disturbing the peo-
pie of so many parts of the world and
the race question of the Southern |
states are radical. The basic feeling |
of race antagonism is the same, but |
the negro is different from the white |
man only in race. A California public |
man explained it in this way:
The Asiatic who comes to America
is not only different in race, but IN |
many other ways. He has nation |
which he represents and to which he
remains absolutely loyal. no matter
how long he may stay here. He has
system of morals which differs so |
radically from ours that assimilation |
of the two people is impossible. He |
has a religion which is different from
ours. and, aside from the dogma of |
faith, which is essentially inferior in
that it reduces women to a position |
little better than that of an animal. |
The virtues of the white man he looks |
upon with contempt, the vices he |
seizes and initiates
"AII of this may be utterly unfair |
and unjust when applied to Chinese
or japanese of high breeding or posi-
ton. That there are good men in Asia |
is not to be questioned. But when |
+to ga+ac ore thrown wide open to /