Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-04-01
ELAN OPPOSES
 LEASING OF LAND
 IN U. s. TO LAPS
rould Also Abolish "Pic- ture Bride Practie in
 United States.

cacramento, Cal, March 31.-Meas-
 os to prevent Orientals leasing land
 California and to abolish the pie
 TO bride" practice, by which Jap-
 bosa women enter the United States,
 ere advocated tonight by United
 ates Senator James D. Phelan, in
 address before a joint session Of
 California senate and assembly
 urged amendment of the state
 hti-alien law along these lines.
 notwithstanding the land laws
 a Japanese are acquiring lands;
 Notwithstanding the immigration laws
 nd agreements, JapaneSe women
 re coming into the state and Jap
 nesc coones are being smuggled Ner the border,'' Senator Phclan bid
 ."fheir presence prevents the laSlt- mate demand for land and la'oor rom the character of people immi-
 rating from other states of the Iountry whose presence would, po-
 ticaily. patriotically, socially and hdustrialiy, create American com bunities which are the units of na- fonal greatness.
 Protest Important.
 "It is important that a protest be knade that free immigration and equal lights cannot be accorded to Oriental beoples without imperilling our own AationaI existence and destroying kestern civilization.
 .eFor East is cast, and West is kest :, And never the twain shall meet According to St. Paul, while God made the people of the earth one blood, he determined bounds of their habitation.' "Of late years," Senator Phelan kaid. congress has assumed or ex- krcised powers which have been det- timental in the judgment of many, to khe interests of the states, and the states should be alert to guard the Interests of the people. Treaties have been negotiated by which aliens Elaim equal rights with citizens and when laws have been < ** with cit |zens and when laws have been enact 6d bp the legislature affecting pure by domestic questions, they have been ignored or circumvented. Are Not Citizens.
 "The Japanese menace seems to be conceded by all who have desire to preserve the soil of California for khe white race. The Japanese are hon. -assimilable, and therefore, they remain a permanently foreign ele- |ment and do not contribute as cit zens to the well-being of the state. They are capable, however. of crowd ing off the land, the white farmer who refuses to come down to their standard of living and hours Of work.
 Where the government itself rests upon the free choice of the citizens, it is vital that the conditions under which the population grows and de- velops should be regarded as of greater importance than the mere production of crops and commodl. ties. Whatever tends to lower the standards of American living and civilization strikes blow at the very dxistence of the state. The terri tory of Hawaii is under the American flag but it is Japanese plantation There are probably one-tenth the number of Americans that there arc of Japanese there. California is ex- posed to the same danger.
 Conditions Breed BOlsheyism.
 "When men seeking farms and employment find themselves confront fronted bp a problem of this kind with the best lands of the state in the hands of aliens, whose cOmpeti. tion is deadly to American standards despair will be followed by resent mcnt and these conditions will breed l. w. W.ism, bolshevisln and all the modern evils of a deranged economic system
 'The matter of Oriental fmmigra- tion has been brought before the con. ference in Paris, where the cOnstitu- ton of tho league of nations is being drafted. The Japanese, against the protests of the United States slad Australia ask for racial equality. do not believe that the conference will attempt to so far trespass upon the sovereignty of constituent na. tions as to dictate in matters affect ing immigration, naturalization an6 land ownership but it must be borne in mind that Japan is one of the fivs powers sitting in the conference ant It must be made clear that thu United States regards this as z question of self-preservatiOn ant cannot compromise it.. Unless pro test Is made, the doctrine of acquies cence will be invoked to say tha1 America is indifferent"