Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-27
Had Underbid White La
borers as Fruit Pick
ers in West.
MAY INVOLVE COUNTRY
State Department to Make In
veStigation of Incident
at Hemet, Cal.

Hemet, Cal, June 27-The Off
to the probable outcome of the Incl
dent yesterday when a party of Ko-
rean apricot pickets from Riverside
were driven out of town by white
field laborers and sympathizers who
resented competition of Asiatics.
Mayor Shaw was assured by attor-
neys that the city could not be held
responsible for the expulsion of the
Koreans. The AsiatiCs were imported,
it is said, by fruit growers because
they offered to pick fruit two to three
cents a box less than white laborers
demanded.
The assertion of fruit growers that
there was a scarcity of white laborers
is denied by the latter. The matter
has not yet officially been called to
the attention of the authorities.
WASHINGTON DisTURBED.
Washington, D. c.. June 27.-Just a
small incident in itself, but very dis
turbing nevertheless, is the prelim-
mary official estimate of an affair at
Hemet, CAL, yesterday, involving for
chile expulsion from the community OF
band fo Korean fruit pickers. It, is
expected the incident will be a sub
ject of future representations by the
Japanese ambassador. 1t will then be
incumbent on Secretary Bryan to
transmit any complaint TO Governor
Johnson with an intimation that the
| rraSidnnt rains him fn
justice is done aliens in the United
States under the terms of existing
treaties. Ultimately it may become
necessary to ask congress to indem-
Nifty Koreans who suffered financial
loss by the hostile actions of the CON-
munity of Hemet
Secretary Bryan said the state de-
partment will made an immediate in
vestigation for itself of the Hemet in
cident. The only information thus far
was in the press dispatches.
Riverside, Cal, June 27.-Anti-Jap-
anese sentiment at Hemet, a small
town near here, was manifested yes
terday when a party of citizens met
an apricot picking crew OF men sup
posed to be Japanese from this city
and ordered them to leave at once. The
, baggage was thrown aboard the train
after them.
The Asiatics were engaged by ranch
eTs near Hemet. After they had been
driven out the employing ranchers
told the Hemit men that the Asiatics
were not Japanese, out Koreans. The
ayplncint1ictC ranlia6 that pna1a T1n diff.
: ference. Hemet wanted neither race
| within its borders.
: The business men of Hemet joined
| Mayor H. G. Shaw in a statement de-
e ploring the action of a party of citi-
Zens who drove the fruit pickers out of
r town. While prominent citizens de-
D clared they were not in sympathy with
the japanese, they asserted that the
expulsion of the Koreans was illegal,
and therefore to be condemned.
In a communication from Los An
geles II. A. Wakabayashi, secretary OF
the Japanese Association of Southern
California, said the japanese would
avoid any place where they were not
wanted and that. the Koreans would
not have precipitated the incident mad
= they known of the feeling in Hemet.
Los Angeles, Cal, June 27-The
u japanese organizations of southern
= California took immediate cognizance
of the incident at Hemet when Is Ash
Il atics were driven out of the town. II.
, Wakabayashi, secretary of tho Japan
ese association of southern California,
, telegraphed the facts in the case to Y.
. humane, acting consul general at San
Q Francisco.
AS Korea is Japaneee dependency,
officials of the Japanese association
said Koreans were as much entitled TO
protection from the mikado's govern
ment as Japanese themselves.