The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-02-06

surplus population to colonize the
South American republics.
Stealing a March.
The Japanese must have room. 1t
is an exigency Of excess population
with them. Manchuria and Korea they
are exploiting, and while those two
countries are invaded by Japanese
traders and merchants, they afford tae
Japanese coolie no chance Of labor.
Shut out from Canada and the
United States, as from British Austria
lila, the Japanese are swarming into
South America, particularly Peru,
Chile and Brazil. They are welcomed
on the west coast of South America,
where there is a sudden large labor
demand with no supply. The Japan
ese are employed in the culture Of SUI
gar-cane and in the mines, on the cof-
fee, cotton, tobacco and olive plant
ations. The wages are relatively high.
Meanwhile, there follow after the cool
des, Japanese artisans and merchants.
The immigration as yet has but COM
menced, yet in Peru alone, it is esti-
mated that $4,000 Japanese are at
work. The first influx there occurred
only 10 years ago.
Effects of Colonization.
There follows naturally the introduce
tion of Japanese commodities, porce-
lains, bamboos, cottons, silks, mating
and firearms, and the importation Of
these at Lima is increasing so rapidly
as to give promise Of a great trade in
the near future.
Chile is not only welcoming Japanese
labor, but endeavoring to induce Jap
anese settlement. She is oeffring ad-
vantages; 40 acres Of good land for
every immigrant, 20 acres more for
each son Of 18 years and over, a. yoke
of oxen, q set Of agricultural inple-
ments, and a sum of money equiva-
lent to- SIS per. month the first year
of residence. The Santiago govern
ment in 1907 dispatched an agent to
Toxic to proclaim these opportunities,
and already a considerable number of
Japanese farmers have given up their
diminutive holdings at home to accept
the Chilean proposition.
Are there to be Japanese colonies
in South America, as there are German
colonies in the southermost provinces
Of Brazil? The Japanese government
is certainly taking time by the fore
lock, subsidizing steamships to South
American ports with the confident ex-
pectation that the transportation Of
fered viii develop exchange Of commo-
dities. And it will, if the ships are to
carry out Japanese emigrants, who,
once settled in the new lands, will de-
sire Japanese goods, foods and lux
uries.
Japan's Ambition.
Will Japan succeed in her ambition
to make of the Pacific Japenese lake ?
If Japanese economic colonies are to
rim that ocean, as we'll as to occupy
the Hawaiian islands; if Japenese
steamships are to traverse that ocean
In every direction, as the English lines
do the Atlantic, Japan of a certainty
will build up vast economic empire
Net only are the Japanese invading
the west coast Of South America, they
are rounding the Horn and landing
in Brazil. The Kyokuku Emigration
company signed an agreement with the
Brazilian provincial government OF
San Paulo in 1907 to settle 5000 jap
anese laborers within a period of three
years in that province. A similar con-
tract with the Rio Janeiro government
provides for the settlement Of 500 FAM
lilies beginning with this year 1909.
: We Americans are handing the COM
merce Of the Pacific over to the jap
anese, and they, for themselves, are
enacting flank march on South
America, which may ultimately COM
init a large portion Of that rich do
main to their development.
Important movements, world move
ments, are happening under our noses
and we do not so much as sit up ant