The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-11-27
SUGGESTIONS FOR RE-
STRICTIVE MEASURES
Hood River. Nov. 20. 1919.


Editor Glacier: The insinuation Of
japanese influence in the Hood River
valley. indeed the entire Pacific coast.
is not only a terrible menace. as many
of Us are now realizing. but at the
same time Is d thing as difiicult 10
combat as it is necessary 10 overcome.
Ii is d commonplace To speak Of Jap
anese witness and cunning. and We
may be assured that where the prob
lem of obtaining a foothold and ex
tending their influence is the great
problem of their lives. all their craft
and genius will be brought to bear on
/ its solution.
We have an organization at the pres
ent time. composed of members pledged
neither TO sell nor lease their land to
Asiaties. which is attempting to mould
public opinion and initiate legislation
that will curb Asiatie influence and
power on the Pacific coast, by prohibit
ing Asiatic ownership of land and Ash
attic citizenship. But public opinion
will lack power and law may be evad-
ed. unless proper measures are taken.
Now, in spite of all pledges to the
contrary, We might unwittinglv sell or
lease our land to a japanese, for he
could very easily find someone un-
scrupulOus enough to make the deal
for him. Even should legislation pro-
hibit the Asatie ownership of land
there would be plenty of men who, for
a bonus. would hold the land in their
name and let the silent" Asatic
owners. work the land and reap the
profits.
There is way by which any such
chicanery might be checkmated. There
are in New England several colleges
which must, in perpetuum teach GER
tam doctrines relative to the Christian
religion. because their founders wrote
into the deeds certain clauses to that
effect. 1t has been over two centuries
since these deeds were written, and al
though the colleges have grown and
| religion has outgrown these particular
doctrines. they are still taught-be
| cause those restrictive clauses are Just
as effective today as they were 20o
years ago.
Following out this idea, one might
write into a deed clause forbidding
| for all time the sale or lease of the
| land to Asiatlcs, or their employment
on the same. This would for all.time
remove that bit of soil from the con.
troll of the Japanese. One bit of
ground saved from the peaceful in.
vasion." Nor would this be contin-
gent upon the tickleness of public opin.
ion, for though it and the Legislature
might sleep, or be busted with some
other problem. that land is saved
And, as deal after deal goes through
containing this clause so fatal to Jap
anese influence. slowly but surely he i.
being crowded out.
Today the Japanese has his eye OF
the whole valley; and it is his. poten
italy, but as deeds containing such f.,
restrictive clause are written, one af
ter another. surely he must see tha
his star is setting.
The beauty of such a clause is its
permanent cumulative effect. Their,
is no lapsing. no forgetting, no talk, i
is always there and so far as we cal
see it is not to be evaded.
We're the nti.Asiatic organization
and other similar organizations on tn,
coast to adopt such a policy, within q
years they would crowd Mr.. Jap int
the Pacific and he would have to swim
home. George L. Axtelle.