The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-10-02
ANTI-ASIATIC LEAGUE
MAKES STATEMENT

Of protecting our home land from ASH
attic domination. This organization is
the elimination of a system which has
been operating for some years past
here in our little valley. which has re-
suited in the gradual absorption Of
land by japanese in HOOdlRiver valley.
Those of US who have lived here
some years are perfectly familiar with
this question in all Of its different
phases: but in order to make the posi-
ti0n of this organization clear and
practical We wish to call your atten-
ton TO the fact that the selling of land
to Japanese in the past few months
has steadily been on the increase.
Therefore, we have raised this question
Of selling and leasing land to Japanese
The members of this organization
propose to use every means in their
power TO put stop to the selling and
leasing of land to Japanese. First, a
goodly number of land owners have
pledged themselves to not lease or sell
to Japanese.
This organization knows that any
land owner who happens to get sur
rounded by Japanese will eventually
be forced to sell to some member of
that race, for with Asiatics all round
him he can never hope to sell to a
white man. and the ultimate result will
be that the little brown man will be
able to set the price to suit himself of
the property of any such white man
who may get into this unfortunate po-
sition. This very circumstance is why
we are signing pledges not to sell to
any member of the race in question.
In full knowledge of the fact that there
is not law at present by which we can
check this unfortunate state of affairs,
we are signing up the pledge, and every
slgner Is IN a measure an insurance
against such sale or lease.
We hold and contend that it is better
to try and contine the trouble where 1t
is now rather than let it spread until
remedial legislation can be enacted.
In the light of past events pertaining
to remedial legislation it is indeed very
uncertain and usually exceedingly Slow
1t is up to us to join forces with our
sister state. California, for in the Col
den state they are even in greater peril
than we of Hood River, for that state
has been field of their active opera
tions for term of years.
For example, the thriving little town
of Florin, eight miles from Sacrament
to, situated in the heart of the straw
berry district, which shipped berries
as far east as the Missouri river. has
by this quiet penetration method of the
hnan Ia 70 ah htr
these Asiatics today there is not a
sngle American newspaper distributed
in that district; in one class of the
public school of that district was found
Al japanese and six white children Do
you people of Hood River want to be
confronted with such a condition; If
you do, all that it will be necessary for
US to do is to go right along and attend
to our fruit growing. and forget the
japanese question for few years
dwell in a fools paradise for short
time and the thing is accomplished.
Lest you forget, remember that when
these Asiatics absorb the land the mer-
chants and other businesses are swal-
lowed up at the same time. At any
rate. this is the history of their en-.
deavors so far.
Do not misinterpret the spirit ir
which this article is written. These
facts are in no way reflection on the
intelligence of the japanese people, for
we of the Pacific coast are fully aware
of their keen business sagacty; they
are indeed very bright people, and in
all probability understand us and our
methods better, possibly, than we un-
derstand each other. The fact which
we must not forget in this contest is
that we are sure to cross swords with
one of the best informed races of peo-
pie in the whole world. for travellers
and people who have lived for years ir
the domains of the Mikado tell US that
there does not exist in that empire a
native who is not educated in his owr
language.
But, after all the good things which
may be truthfully said of this people,
their way is not our way. We of the
white race have our fixed habits of life,
and we do not feel that we are ready
to surrender them to the habits of a
race whose record of civilization goes
bck so far in history that it is lost ir
the midst of antiquity. These people
had their regular organized government
when julius Caesar first landed his Ro.
man legionS on the Isle of Brittany, tC
conquer our savage and semi barbara
ancestors. The Japanese civilization
runs much further back in history thar
our own; their race is of pure and un'
broken stock, continuous. of one blood,
for perhaps two thousand years. Ours
is of much shorter term of life, and
has tendency to almalgamatiOn which
theirs does not. Therefore. the line OF
demarkation is racial, and by blood.
In the full discussion of this question
in our meetings during the life of oui
organization. we have heard no line OF
argument which so completely covered
this question as the remarks of young
soldier, George Axtell, who has Just
returned from France. His view was
this:
I'VE of the Pacific coast cannot af.
ford to Balkanize our country with
such an impossible civilization as that
of Japan for if we attempt it, we viii
have an everlasting and continuous
struggle" F" And the inevitable end will
be the annihilation of the white race.
To us of Hood River, great is our in
hertance We of 'the land where
dreams come true" must guard such 6
heritage as ours with unrelenting care
for Eternal vigilance is the price OF
liberty" The poets beautiful dream
has already come true. Let us, the
citizens, join hands and see to it that
this dream of the yellow peril does not
come true. We extend to every citi
zen and property owner an invitation
to come and join US with help, to hole
the home line intact. You are cordial
ly invited to meet with US October Z
O'Clock D. m, 1919, at the Library
hall, Hood River Ladies. as we'll az
men, are especially invited to come.
Yours very respectfully,
Publicity Committee.
AntiAlien League;
Roy d. Smith, Chairman j. H. Ko
berg, j. M. Taylor.