Bisbee daily review., 1908-04-01
JAPS ARE CROWDING
ALONG THE BORDER
Mining Man win Not Discuss
Reasons, But Says Mikadois
Subjects Are There.

while do not care TO express my
conclusions as to the reason for the
Japanese being in Mexico said a
prominent mining man of Mexico to
the Ell Paso Herald, ''the fact remains
that there are thousands of Japs in
the republic of Mexico, and have
personally come in contact with a
large number Of themsin my tours Of
inspection in western Mexico. They
are strung out in camps all through
Sonora, having landed from Japan at
Topolobampo. Mazatlan and Quay
mas, and 1t is a well known fact that
they all carry large sums OF money
with them and spend it freely when
ever possible. This money is in Mex
lean currency, and has either been Sc
cured at the ports of entry or was
supplied to them by the government
authorities OF Japan before they left
home.
MANY of these are ex-soldiers of
the Japanese Russian war and a for
meE officer of the island army IS al
most invariably in each of the groups.
They have revolver practice every
possible chanEe and the officers have
been seen to instruct them in the use
of these weapons have myself seen
them out making maps of the harDor
and surrounding country of Guaymas
and they seem to be very much in
tsrested in the physical conditions of
Mexicoi especially around the ports
and along the American border. They
all speak broken Spanish, picking this
language up rapidly and wherever
they have an opportunity they learn
English and the use of American mil
itary terms as rapidly as possible.
in the mines with which l have
been connected we have employed a
number of these Japanese, and. while
| they were not aeclimated at first TO
| the fierce tropical sun, they became
excellent laborers as soon as they be
came accustomed to the climate.
They seem to, be willing and anxious
to learn all That is possible about
| things in general, and especially
about American ways and customs
They do not stay at one place very
| long, however, moving on to some
other camp that has been set up by
| their fellow countrymen in Sonora
and western Chihuahua Many OF
them speak good English, but II
seems to be their desire to conceal
rather than make known this fact. !
remember one case where / over
heard a Jap talking to another anG
they both were conversing in very
good English. Later l had occasion
to address one of the two in English
and they Immediately replied that
they did not understand, speaking In
good Spanish.
| TT is not my idea that these Jap.
anese are part of an organized effort
| to invade the United States, as some
people seem to think in Mexico, but
rather that the Japanese government
wishes to have number OF well
| trained, trusted men in the adjoining
country in the event of war be.
| tween the two countries, 20 keep the
Japanese army informed as to the
/ best places for landing troops and as
to the typographical features of the
United States. 1t is possible and
! highly probable that these men are
in Mexico simply because they can
make more money than they can al
home, and are desirous of getting
| employment on the railroad and min
| ing development work that is being
done there. Yet IT seems strange
| that they are supplied with money
and carry on their military activities
| in a country where there is no posi-
| Bile occasion for it. If the occasion
should demand, these same yellow
men could make considerable trouble
for this country for time with theil
/ training and knowledge of this and
the neighboring country on the
/ south"