The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-08-07
BY n. n. Powers. in the Kansas
Citv Star

City Star
Editors Note-Dr. Sydney Gulick,
whose plan for dealing with the prob
lem Of Japanese immigration is dis
cussed in the following article, was
one Of the speakers at the Young
Friends conference held at EaTlham
college last year, He discussed the
phases Of the Japanese problem in his
address here)
DR.. Sydney L. Gulic5, long an Amer
lean missionary IN Japan. and a rec
ognized leader Of pro-Japanese
opinion, Is the author of proposal
now before Congress for the regula-
ton OF immigration which suggests
the new Importance that this subject
has acquired as the result of the war
and the possibility that the United
States may adopt a radically new pol
icy on this subject. The proposal is
simply that immigration from all
countries be limited hencefQrth to a
certain small percentage-3 or 5; the
number Is immaterial-of those al
ready here from the countries in Ques
ton The essence Of the scheme is to
devise a uniform rule applicable to all
countries alike. and the reason for
this uniformity is avowedly to spare
| the sensibilities Of the Japanese.
! DR. Gulick comedies frankly the
NECESSITY Of virtually excluding Jap
anese immigration, recognizing as
some less familiar with Japanese con-
/ ditions have failed to do. the danger
| Of our being overwhelmed by an unre-
! stricted Oriental immigration. But
he is deeply impressed by the necess-
ity OF doing this in a way that will not
wound Japanese sensibilities. Hence,
J his effort to find a plan that shall be
! effective without involving invidiOus
discrimination. AS there are few Jap
anese now here, the admission Of a
! low percentage would be no menace.
while with the much larger repre-
sentatiOn of European countries. the
allowance would meet all require
ments In short DR.. Gulick sees in the
Japanese situation primarily prob
lem Of sensibilities and he would regu-
late the Immigration from all COun-
tries primarily with view to
| soothing these SensibiltieS.
Problems That Arise.
| We may assume that the basis upon
which this percentage is to be calcu-
lated would be actual immigrants
and not their descendants Otherwise
Fatally against the Europeans, who in
termrry with our people and with
each other For instance, how would
the lady be counted with whom
have Just been talking? Her father is
a ScOtchman and her mother a Ger
man. The Japanese. on the other
hand, who do not intermarry with US
and whose rate OF increase is said to
five times the American average
If allowed to count their American in,
crease The plan as proposed seems
to have contemplated this loose inter
probation which hardly bears dis.
cussion if we are to restrict japanese
immigration at all But in this more
conservative form what are the mer.
its Of this proposal?
The merit claimed IS equality Of
treatment for all nations, effectual ex
clusion without discrimination. 1t
must be clear at a glance, however
that this equality is extremely spe.
cious and artificial. The Japanese
are to be admitted, not in proportion
to their Importance as a nation or to
their education or their morality, or
their efficiency, or their merit in any
sennse, but simply in proportion tc
their numbers already here And
! lHeSe Auu1DeIS, determined LOT Otne1
nations by free immigration, have
been limae in the case of Japan by
a policy of exclusion extending over
years. The proposed equality there
fore, Is merely the impartial perpetu
alton of the inequalities under which
Japan is alleged to have chafed. II
the Japanese find in such inequality a
solace for their wounded sensibilities
they are of all old birds the most
easily caught by chaff.