The San Francisco call., 1909-09-19
IMMIGRATION FROM
JAPAN DECREASING
Government Records Show Few
Orientals Landing in the
United States

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1S.-The United
States government has made good
with the Pacific coast generally and
California in particular in the matter
of japanese Immigration. When a year
or two ago the people of the Pacific
slope. notably San Francisco, grew
restless over the Japanese question and
uneasy over the pronounced and in
creasing immigration from the yellow
islands, they voiced strong protest
to the authorities at Washington.
The government promised to see
that such provision was made as would
be satisfactory. And its officials went
to work to bring about such an ar
rangement as would suit the citizens
beyond the Sierras. There were nego-
tiations and counter negotiations pro-
posals and counter proposals between
the executive departments of the two
nations. with the result than an ar
rangement was finally struck upon
satisfactory to all concerned.
Under the agreement reached no
passports were to be issued to Jap
anese laborers, skilled or unskilled,
except to settled agriculturists, to
those having a previous domicile in
the United States or the immediate
blood kin of those having such domi-
cile. 1t was also understood that
American consuls in Japanese ports
should guard closely against the is
suance of passports to any Japanese
liable to become a laborer after arrival
in American territory.
The favorable results of this agree
ment are evidenced by the latest re-
ports just received from the depart
ment Of commerce and labor. The inn
migration from the Japanese islands
has decreased more than 500 per cent
since the agreement, was entered into
between the two governments. While
1886 Japanese were admitted into the
continental United States and 1906
into the Hawaiian islands during the
u months ending April 80. 1908, only
S,074 were admitted to Uncle Sam S
mainland and 2.263 to the Hawaiian
islands during the year ending April
80, 1909
Furthermore, the records of the i'm
year ending April 80, 1903, the Jap
anese population in the continental
United States had during that period
decreased by 1853. During the month
of April, 1909, the latest period for
which statistics are available, 242 Jap
anese were admitted to the mainland
and ~ to Hawaii, a falling off of more
than 800 per cent from the record of
two years ago. But even these arrivals
were more than Offset by the de-
partures of resident japanese for their
former homes. From the United States
there sailed for Japan during that
month 253; from the Hawaiian islands
269
1t can thus be seen that Uncle Sam
is clearing away any cloud of danger
due to an influx of Japanese immigra-
tion
1T is also to be noted said Baker,
chief of the bureau of Tar eastern af-
fairs, that those Japanese who are leav-
ing for their homes are of the unskilled
labor class, while, from our records.
we find that those now coming to this
country are of the highest type; young
men OF wealth and position, coming to
obtain an education at our universi-
ties; students of engineering, who wish
to study our national improvements.
and men of means, who come to en-
gage in business. The Pacific coast
has nothing to fear from Japanese i'm
migration hereafter