The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-06-11

| cisco. Their voice is all for peace
The japanese Wed with the Native
! Sons in preparing TO welcome Admira
Evans and his fleet to the frolic a
the Golden Gate. They contributed
over $4,000 10 the entertainment fund
, and spent good American gold fol
red, white and blue bunting to dec
crate their shops and homes. The Jap
anese newspapers in San Francisco
declared that they were as glad to saf
the fleet and as proud of its accom-
plishments as were any other resi-
dents of America. The japanese Con-
sui General published an article on the
coming of the battleships which began
with the word 'WeIcome!'' Neverthe-
less, in the vast crowds which cover
ed the hills about the bay on that
memorable April day there was scarce
a man who did not turn TO his neigh
Dor to say: THAT will keep the Jap
anese on their own side of the sea-
1t is the presence of the fleet and
the cessation of threats from Japan
that makes the difference in the situa-
ton here Little is said nowadays
about the japanese. in San Francisco,
but there has been no change in feel
mig dltiOiiE Tic AHiGlIGHl44S VI tie CITY
As in every other Pacific Coast city
they declare that the Japanese must
be kept out of the country, that they
are more dangerous and much more
undesirable than the Chinese, and that
if the Japanese government will not
restrict the immigration as promised.
then this government must enact an
exclusion law for the protection of the
& ri wilt nd inS
of the western states.
In many sections of the West the
opposition to japanese immigration is
dustrial arguments. The white laborer
cannot compete with the Japanese
laborer. because he cannot live as
cheaply. But here in San Francisco it
Is confessed that race antagonism has
much to do with the anti-Japanese
feeling. The San Francisco troubles
did not spring from an economic clash
over wages, it grew out of a race ques- |
ton developed in the schools. When
the San Francisco position on the
school question was made known in the !
asst Congress the race question was |
predominant feature, and the South /
ern Democrats of the House and Sem
ate, familiar with race questions, rush !
I'd to the support of the CalifOrnians. |
San Franciscans repeat and ratify |
what was said at that time by the /
hen Governor in a message to the |
legislature: I'm common with the peo- /
Die of the East, who have had no ex- |
1erience with these unassmilable peo-
de of Japan and China, the President I
loes not understand the racial differ
,nces between the Japanese and Chi |
lese and the people Of Caucasian /
blood" 1t is exactly the same argu-
nent used by Southerners in defending |
themselves against attacks from other
states on their attitude toward the |
negro: You do not understand the
Inference between a white man and a
legro."
1t is very fortunate that the eco
ionic feature of the agitation against
he Japanese has been emphasized. In
Japan it is admitted that Americans
nay object to an influx of laborers who
viii destroy standards of wages, but
very Japanese holds that he is the
quail of any man on earth and a racial
discrimination against his people is an
offense. As matter of
act. the race antagonism doees not
inter- into the question. and San Fran
isco openly admits it.
In the meantime the $4,000 Japanese
yho are living here are finding en-
loyment and making money. The
majority of them are held to be un-
as servants or laborers,
nut still they have the jobs. The lead
RS of Japanese here are trying to do
II in their power to smooth over old
uarrels. The leaders of the anti-Jap-
nese agitation are content to let by
ones be by-gones, but they are no
ess determined in their opposition to
ermitting any more japanese to
ONE in.