Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-27
CHINATOWN
FACES RED
WAR CLOUD
TONG FIGHT MAY CENTER IN
LOS ANGELES
HOP SING MEMBERS IN A STATE
OF TERROR
Startling Discoveries Made by News
paper Man During Midnight Trip
Through Oriental Quarters.
Marked for Death

Hop Sing tong, which has spread into
all cities of the United States excent
New York, promises in the near future
% be concentrated in Los Angeles
local Chinese interpreter, for many
years closely identified with the Chin
ese life of the Pacific coast. bu+ who
for obvious reasons, refuses to let his
name be disclosed in connection with
the several startling revelations made
by him. stated last night that the Hon
Sing, which IS one of the largest and
most powerful tongs in the United
states. composed principally of labor
IRIS, is threatened with dissolution as a
-esult of the closer affiliations recently
effected between the Bling Kong, Bow
Cng and Joke Lum tongs, and also as
IN indi &C. result of the terror which
within the past few months has taken
'trm hold of the trepidating masses of
the Hop Sing, in consequence of the
many men marked for death or rnys-
teriously murdered at the hands of al
legged hired assassins of the former
tongs.
Until the disruption of the famous
chinatown in San Francisco, that city
was male the headquarters of the va
rious Pt.Cific coast tongs and the feu-
dial campaigns were designed and op-
destruction OF Chinatown there has
scattered the tong forces throughout
'he United States. 1t is now purposed
TO center thesn forces here and with
his aim in view the most influential
members of the conflicting factions are
said to be figuring on a way to remodel
.he local Chinatown after the fashion
Of the nee nt ted settlement in the
northern city with elaborate joss
houses and nicotine fot.t DIFF
-erent societies.
To Measure Swords
Police and Chinese interpreters, we'll
posted on the affairs of the willy Chin
csc, say that although there is no Hop
Sing tong in New York, there is an
equally powerful organization known
as the Hip Sir.g tong, and that this lat
ter has affiliated itself with the Hop
Sing and has pf omised it's financial and
moral support in what is now believed
TO be a pending final measurement of
swords" and test of strength, the ulti-
mate result OF which, should the feud
come to a sudden clash of numbers,
will mean the complete humiliation of
all differences or the disruption of one
or more tongs
The Chinese are still and always have
been, as far back as history records,
the most clannish of races, and in their
feudal differences evince the same
stolid uncomrromising tenacity of
opinion hence it is not probable that
their fraterna factions will ever be re-
conciled Or the other hand, 1t is
nruch more probable that the clash be-
tween these factions will continue
daily to grow more formidable and
fatal. This means that If the warfare
is to be conducted from Los Angeles,
however secret. the city confronts a
most distasteful prospect of interne-
cine feuds,
The los Angeles police now face a
problem equally as difficult as that
with which, fer over three decades, the
police of San Francisco were compelled
unsuccessfullg to cope.
How Troubles Started
The troubles in San Francisco started
with the Formation of the Six Com
Ianles it is said, during the Kearney
sand-dune" days. These Six Com
panies, however, held aloof from the
.ongs as superior societies, and are
composed mostly of the richer classes
of commercial men, who only interfere
in tong troubles when they deem II
necessary
What attitude the Six Companies will
take in tho resent outbreak is ex-
tremely doubtful, but it is said on good
authority that the Six Companies are
planning to enc the feuds If possible,
Ly some form If arbitration calculated
TO prevent further bloodshed.
The Six Companies are composed or
the Yunh Wo. the Yam Wo, the Sam
yup, Ming Yong, Kong Chow ana
Hop Wo. They are well represented in
Los Angeles.
1t is pointed cut that few cities in the
United States contain as many large
representations of the various tongs as
does Los Angeles. Among the many
Chinese societies or tongs, whose mem
bers run into the hundreds here, are
the following. Hop Sing, Blng Kong,
Bow Ong, Joke Lum, Hip Sing, BOW
Sin Scar Suey Sing, Chung Sung, Gee
Ming, Sin; Gee and Ming Yung. The
'ast six named are outside of the feuds
and endAaVor 10 continue neutral.
For the benefit of those unfamiliar
with the history of the tong troubles
it is explained that there are no tongs
in China, where the laws firmly ana
!nviolably prohibit their existence. De-
spite these laws, however, the feuds
exist, and the societies really have
powerful entity, though unorgahlzed'
Mutually Recognized
Their precepts and political and re-
lgious ideas are additionally perpetu-
ated and mutually, though silently
recognized ana
The various schools of thought" are
as clannish III China as abroad. An
illustration of this clannishness of the
race is found in the emigrations OF the
tribes Those in the north of China,
when they leave, go almost invariably
tc Russia, where tribesmen from other
parts of China are seldom to be found
The Cantonese immigrate to the
United States and Canada. Nine out
of ten Of the Chinese in this country
are from the Canton districts Those
from the south of China emigrate to
Australia. So with all of the ceaseless
emigrations from the land of the ris-
ing sun. They flock together.
The tongs are founded for the most
part on religious and political differ
enceS. Buddhism, Mohammedanism,
Brahmaism and Confucianism, min
gled with the reformation policies of
many "mUderhlst" factions, constitute
the founda tion of the prevailing feuds.
II is to the faDaticism of the leaders,
who becon religious anarchists, that
the present bitterness is attributed.
About the first of January, q year
ago, the president Of the Hop Sing
tong, Lee Book Dong, was shot to
death ia Oakland. So bitter was the
feud at that time that the body was
Iept in state for six weeks before the
Chinese dared to venture out with it
for burial After lengthy conferences,
sort 81 armistice was declared and