The Washington times., 1914-07-20
CANADA AND THE
HINDUS.

In view of developing embarrass-
ments in the relations of the United
States and japan anent the Pacific
Coast immigration problem, it may
be interesting to recall the anteee-
dent of the strange situation that
has arisen in British Columbia as q
result of the importation of ship
load of Orientals.
British Columbia likes the Japa-
nese and Hindus no more than Cali
fornia does. Japan is the ally of the
British Empire; Hindustan is its
richest dependency. The japanese in
sist that they must be let in as
friends of Britain; the Hindus, as
British subjects.
The British Columbia authorities
were much embarrassed, but at
length adopted a regulation that no
Hindu immigrants would be admit
ted save those that came on ships
plying directly between India and
Canada. This, in view Of the fact
that there were no such ships, looked
very effective.
But it wasn't. A Hindu business
man who made a fortune in lumber
in India and then bought great areas
of timberland in British Columbia
and has made himself one of tine i'm
portant men of that province, char
tered a Japanese ship and estab-
lished her in business between Cal
cutta and Vancouver. He loaded
some 300 Hindus and sailed her di-
rect to Vancouver. There she ar
rived near two months ago.
Vancouver and British Columbia
authorities would not let her land
The immigrants. The owner and cap.
tain of the vessel were ordered to
take them back to India. Both re.
fused, the captain and crew being
japanese.
A deadlock ensued, while court
processes were invoked and appeals
taken. The Hindus could not land
their provisions ran out; and yester'
day, in an effort to get provision:
aboard, the Vancouver authoritie:
met a complete defeat at the hand:
of the exasperated Hindus, who re
pulsed the "boarders' with volleys o'
coal and blows of clubs.
Let 1t be understood that there are
probably 10000 Hindus in the Van
couver district; men who in mos'
cases are not permitted to bring
their wives and families to join them
Night after night cart-rail orators
among them make incendiary
speeches throughout the town, de
nouncing everything from the po
liceman on the block up to the i'm
perial parliament; demanding t.
know what are the boasted benefits
of British institutions when such in
hurnanities are imposed on loya
British subjects. The questions ar
a bit hard to answer: neither the po
liceman nor the London government
has given satisfactory reply to date
The question of Canada's right t,
maintain its Oriental-exclusion act
even as against subjects of the EN-
pire, has been adjudicated in tn
highest court, and sustained. It i
interesting to note how different tn
British management of that cas-
was from our own dealing with tn
California incidents. 1t was held il
the British case that the imperia
government could not interfere; tn
Canadian parliament had exactly tn
same right to pass the immigration
act that the London parliamen
would have had. in either case, tn
royal disapproval might have vetoe
it; but that disapproval was not Wis
tied upon it, and now it is held to b
the law, and the sole law, of the Do
lninion, precisely as effective as is
law of the Westminster parliamen
in Great Britain itself.
The difference between that cor
dition and our own difficult positio
in California does not need elucida
ton. But the British Canadian stu
alton may be the more fraught wit
trouble for the empire. Canada j
indeed self-governing country; bu
! stin it is nominally British; an