The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-02-05
JAPANESE TO
RECEIVE HEARING
COMPROMISE OFFER is DISCUSSED
Anti-Asiatie Members, However, Oppose
Compromise Moral Obligation
TO Legion is Cited

p" Hiic Tue uhdilulOus sentiment OF
the organization is opposed to compru
mise, the Anti-Asiatic Association, as
matter of diplomacy and courtesy,
last Thursday night agreed to listen to
offers of the Hood River Japanese Far
mers' Association, who have rendered
a proposal of a local gentlemen's agree
ment IN settlement of the land owner
ship problem of the district. provided
the japanese present their terms in
writing.
II am perfectly willing that the Jap
anese be given hearing" said J ID.
Cutlery, president of the Anti-Asiatlc
Association, but cannot conceive Of
anything the Japanese may offer that
will cause NE to give up my zeal for
| agltating for state and national laws
that will prohibit not only Japanese.
but all unnaturalized aliens from own
ing land in America.
Members of the Association also de
clared that they were morally obliged
TO continue their fight nationally and
| through the state for legislation that
Will prevent land ownership and the
automatic citizenship of japanese chil
! dren born here. 1t was pointed out
that the Anti -Asiatic Association, al
most Immediately after its organization
last fall, sought the support of the
American Legion Post and secured it.
The Post gained the support of the
| Oregon delegation to the Minneapolis
convention and there secured the unan-
imous adoption of resolution calling
for national legislation in controlling
japanese.
The meeting was called especially for
considering a proposal that had been
| brought to the Anti Association through
messengers the past several weeks
But the terms Of the proposal were of
such indefinite nature that it was de.
cided that no definite action should be
taken until they were submitted in
writing.
II might have asked" said Mr..
Scott, 'if the terms of the proposed
agreement would include any provisions
for birth control.
1t was intlmated that the japanese
would ask that their nationals already
in the valley but not landowners should
be permitted to purchase logged off
lands. Mr.. Scott gave some statistics
He declared that Sc Japanese already
own 1858 acres. The valley has 275
Japanese residents If these others are
permitted to buy proportionately. he
declared. the Orientals will soon own
5000 acres of land here, or third of
the tillable acreage of the valley. He
said the valley has 65 picture brides,
and that the district contained 90 chill
dren, who under existing constitutional
rights are Amerlan citizens.
Mr.. Scott has Just received letter
from Phillip Tworoger, of Seattle.
where he is on the legislative commit
tee of the Washington association or
ganized to bring about cessation of
Aslatc ownership Of real estate, who
suggests that the Oregon law should
be Tree from defects that have become
apparent in the Washington statute.
Mr.. TWoroger points out that the Wash.
ington supreme court has held that a
lease for term of years is not a sale,
and that Japanese are gaining control
in his state by leases of real estate.
Mr.. Tworoger states that the law
planned by the Oregon men should
specifically prohibit leases except for a
six months maximum to all aliens,
unless they have declared their inten
tion of naturalization. He furthermore
states that the proposed bill should pre-
vent the sale of land to corporations
including alien stockholders and that
the transfer of shares of stock to aliens
should be made Illegal
Mr.. Scott also received an anonymous
letter frCm an orchlrdist. who claims
to be member of the Apple Growers
Association, and who asks that the
Anti-Asiatic Association use its intiu
ence in preventing affiliation of Japan
ese with the cooperative sales organlza
ton. The anonymous correspondent
laims that the Nipponese ranchers
! through their membership receive ben
efits to which they are not entitled il
the use of purchasing fund and re
serve.
II. A. Cunning stated that the peo
pie of Mosier. who at present have M
japanese residents, are considering tn,
organization of an association simla
to that formed by Hood River orchard
lists to prevent Japanese from buying
in the neighboring orchard district.
Il was in MoSier the first of th'
week said Mr.. Cunning, "and asked
the people there about their attitude
toward Japanese. They declared they
did not want them. Visits Of Japanes,
prospecting for land has stimulated ac
tion for an Asiatic league there"