The daily sentinel., 1913-07-31
ALIEN PROBLEM
IS RACIAL ONE
R. 7. Van EtiisGh, Coast Editor
Says Japanese Question Set
tied by Anti-AIien Land Law

Van Ettisch, formerly q Grand juno
tion newspaperman defines the Jap
anese situation in California. While
crediting President Wilson and Sec
retary Bryan with having done ev-
erything possible TO avert hostilities,
Mr. Van Ettisch declares that the sit
uation is so serious in California and
that the people of the state are so
wrought up over the possible Orien-
talization of their communities that
the Japs would be barred from land
ownership despite the diplomatic diff
ficulties into which the nation might
be embroiled.
Mr.. Van Ettisch, speaking of the
visit of Mr.. Bryan, declared that it
was matter of education to the
Commoner to visit the Japanese com
munities. MIR. Bryan succeeded in
making the statute free from viola
tions of the treaty but he and the
Wilson administration are now
agreed with California to see that the
law is enforced.
Continuing, Mr. Van Ettiseh said:
1T has been charged that the pro-
gressive administration of this state.
of which Gov. Hiram johnson is the
head, enacted the law to embarrass
President Wilson. Nothing could be
more erroneous. The California leg
islature could not resist the over
whelming demand of the people for a
law prohibiting the Oriental owning
land in this state.
The treaty of 1911. according to
the most eminent international law
yers, gives to neither of the high
contracting parties any right to OBJ
tain in the territory of the other any
agricultural interest in lands; the
only interests there provided for are
residential and commercial, so that
as the law does not cut off or exclude
acquisition OF any such interest, it
therefore does not violate in any man
ner that treaty. This being the case
it was perfectly competent for the
Legislature to enact any law 1t saw
fit to regulate the local affairs of
this sovereign state. This same view
was taken in 1908 by Former .Attor-
ney General Olney and Senator Ed
monds, distinguished constitutional
LAWYER which seems to definitely set
tbs the legal right of the state TO
pi IS the law.
But it is not only the legal right
z that is involved. 1t is the bigger,
graver and more potent question:
Shall California and the western
coast be Orientalized?
Slowly, but surely, are the Japan
ese entrenchiug themselves in Cali
fornia, purchasing land and homes,
until the menace has become so great
as to alarm the citizens and spur
them to effective and determined ac-
ton.
Now, would you like to have Zap
anese living next to your home or
your farm? Their children playing
with your children; clinging to their
Oriental customs, manners and mode
of living so diametrically opposed to
our own?
You cannot mix the Oriental and
the Occidental races. They will not
assimilate. Our civilization is an
Occidental one. Our customs, man
ners. mode of living-everything
dear to us-is different from those OF
the Orient. God has placed the Orien-
tai in Asia and there he is working
out his destiny-there he has raised
his civilization, established his GUS
toms, manners. religion and govern
ments. And the same Almighty has
placed us in North America and here
we have built up our civilization, es-
tablished our customs, manners, re-
ligion and governments. There is no
room in Asia for our civilization, and
there is no room in America for ORR
entail civilization. The Japanese VINO
come here continue to adhere to their
customs They do not want our CIV
ilazation. They want our dollars.
while there are more than 5O,ooo
Japanese in California alone, inns
state being the chief field OF thelr ac-
tiyity, there is in Colorado growing
own more than I7,763 acres of land
and lease 172,512 acres. In Colorado
the Japanese own 5225 acres and
lease 1897. Their chief activity IN
Colorado is in the suga rbeet fields
This nation must not, by treaty
or otherwise, sanction or permlI
Asia's teeming millions to camp on
American soil. The peace OF the
world can only be maintained oy
keeping apart such diverse and an
tagonistic forces. We must protecs
our own civilization. The words OF
Timothy, in the Bible, are clear ahu
convincing: But If any proVide hos
for his own and specially for those VI
his own house, he hath denied .he
faith and is worse than an liliueI,
"CaIifornia has burdens, responsi-
bilities and duties to perform and all
of the United States should be ner
friends. her allies, her defenders me
ties o Friendship that bind to her are
those of blood. language, race anu
love for the stars and Stripes.
Mr. Van Ettisch has for several
years been head of the news depart
ment of the Los Angeles Examiner as
CITY editor. He is now on a snort
lecture tour. speaking in Denver ana
Salt Lake City on the japanese STU.
alton in California. He has met
many old friends here who remeih-
her him with pleasure as one OF the
city's most brilliant journalists
Mr.. Van Ettisch leaves this even