Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-05-03
CREATED BY
ALIEN LAND BILLS
Problem, Difficult Of Solution,
Discussed From Different
Standpoints.
IA. -.s-.s-.:.-.:

by the white people Of California, but
by the Chinese as we'll
The japanese today own some of
the best lands In California. They are
in absolute control of the section
around Florln, nine miles from Sacra.
mento, one of the richest strawberry
districts ia the world. Half of the fer
tile orchards of Placer county are also
IN their hands. The japanese, George
shima, the potato king. owns or
controls nearly all of the potato lands
Of the delta districts Of the Sacrament
to and San Joachim rivers. All up the
rich farming section OF the Sacrament
to valley the Japanese have large hold
ings-in Suffer. Yuba, Glenn. Butte
and Teharna. The rich grape districts
of San Joachim county. through Lodi
and Woodbridge. are in Japanese
hands. In some Of the southern coun.
ties in the raisn district Of Fresno
aud adjacent counties, japanese are
in the majority
"The loss of these lands cannot be
attributed to the sliiftlessness of the
AoA hAIA phbNAS- Jul ~ AbbiIl4tRtlpAt
and unfair tricks. In these districts
Japanese laborers first drove out white
hands by the lowness of their wages.
and when the orchardist had to depend
upon the oriental to have his crop gath
cred he was met with the demand that
he turn over half and sometimes two
thirds Of the crop to the Japanese In
a short time he was forced to sell out
to the Japanese themselves In dis
tricts where loyalty prompted the
farmers to stick together and refuse
japanese offers one orchard would be
bought at an extravagant price and
those surrounding it could then be
gathered in for Il song. for no white
people will live next to Japanese. in
city or country.
I'm Placer county in a few years
there will be more Japanese children in
the public schools than white children
In Sacramento, with census popula.
ton of 1850, there are ZOOS Japanese.
a city within city. with japanese
newspapers. theaters, stores and banks.
drawing their profits from the rich az
rieultural country round about and re.
turning nothing to Americans. When
the Japanese desire new property they
acquire one house. caring nothing how
extravagant the price may be. The
property on both sides can then be
bought for n song and the process con.
timed until the whole block is in Asi.
attic hands
Driving Americans Out.
"lf these conditions are not remedied
now, in fifty years California win be
japanese in population. for, slowly but
surely. they are driving Americans
from one county after another For
these aud many similar reasons Cali
fornians are decided the evil must be
stopped and no American who lives Il
short time in California will deny the
justice of California's complaint
AS for CALIFORNIA; right 10 pass the
legislation now before the legislature
President Wilson offers good authority
in his telegram. in which he acknowl
edges the power of the state. but ad
vises caution in the wording of the bill
Alien land laws are in existence in the
District of Columbia. in several of the
southern states and in the federal ter.
ritories
''rhe wording objected to in the Cali
fornia bill is that no alien can own
land who is ineligible 10 citizenship
The courts. by the refusal of citizen
ship papers, have set the precedent
that Japanese. Chinese, Hindus. Turks
South Sea Islanders. koreans-in short
all those neither of The Caucasian race
nor of African deseent-caunot become
citizens. SO the bill is not confined to
Japanese, but merely adopts a princi
pie of the constitution Of the UnlteA
States sustained by court decisions.
Little attention seems to be paid the
fact that the congress of the United
States used these very same words,
ineligible 10 citizenship. in adding
those of that class to the list Of exclud
ed aliens. The Burnett immigration
bill. which passed the last congress
contained that clause 1t was passed
by Il large vote, aud when vetoed by
ex-President Taft ON account Of the
reading test was passed over his veto
by the senate and failed of repassage
in the house by only seven votes.
Members of the senate committee
on foreign relations submitted that
clause to the Japanese embassy before
it was included ia the bill, and Baron
Chlnda, the ambassador. said it was
satisfactory to Japan. No objection
was made "a that clause by any one,
and the same bin was reintroduced in
this congress and Is now on its files.
Much stress is laid upon the rights
Of Japan MS guaranteed to it under the
recent treaty That document provides
only for the leasing of land and guar
antees only reciprocal privileges. one
country promising 10 the subjects of
the other within its jurisdiction the
rights that are granted to its own citi
Zens resident In the other nation.
An American today in Japan can
O. 4 a