The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-07-01
GOVERNOR STEPHENS
ASKS FEDERAL AID

and it has become necessary to protect
the sovereignty of the state against
this growing menace" through diplo-
matte negotiation or strict exclusion
act, Governor Stephens said in a letter
addressed to Secretary of State Colby.
Governor Stephens expressed the
hope in the letter, which was 5000
words in length, that the initiative
measure. now being projected in the
state to deny Asiatics the right to all
land purchases or leaseholds, would be
accepted by the electorate by an over
whelming majority. While California
harbors no animosity against the Jap
anese people, he said, the state does
not wish them to settle within her bor-
ders and to develop Japanese popula-
tion in her midst. He asks that imme-
date negotiations be entered into with
the empire of Japan to make impossible
any further 'eVasions" of the existing
immigration agreements and to make
such agreements as rigorous as possi-
bic.
Twenty years ago our japanese pop
ulation was nominal" the letter said.
Ten years ago the census reports of
the United States government showed a
al 1856 A computation and survey re-
Gently made by the board of control of
the state of California indicates that at
the present time this japanese popula-
ton has been more than doubled-it
amounting now to 1928. The best
figures available indicate that our Jap
anese population comprises 80 and 85
per cent of the total japanese popula-
tion of continental United States.
''ln produtive values, that is to say.
in the market value of crops produced
by them. our figures show that as
against Sc, 235, Sc worth of produce mar
keted in 1909 the increase has been to
SGT, IT'S, 1907 - approximately ten-fold.
So that it is apparent without much
more effective restrictions that in a
very short time, historically speaking.
the Japanese population within our
midst will represent considerable por
tion of our entire population, and the
Japanese control over certain essential
food products will be an absolute one.
''They send their children for short
periods of time to our white schools.
and in many of the country schools of
or state the spectacle is presented of
having a few white children acquiring
their education in classrooms crowded
with japanese. The deep seated land
often OutspOken resentment of our
white mothers at this situation can only
be appreciated by those people who
have struggled with similar problems. +"
Although respecting japanese culture
and advancement and the right of Jap
anese to true development. Governor
Stephens held that 'the people of Cali
fornia are determined to repress a de-
veloping japanese community in our
midst. They are determined to exhaust
every power in their keeping to main
tain this state for its own people.
After stating that "the blood fusion
of the occidental and the oriental had
nowhere ever successfully taken place, "
Governor Stephens said that "Califor-
MIA views with alarm the rapid growth
of these peoples within the last decade
in population as well as IN land control
and foresees in the not distant future
the gravest menace of serious conflict
if this development is not Immediately
and effectively checked" q"
1--WE are confronted at this time by
problems that have arisen in the Ha-
waiian islands where the japanese have
now developed to an extent which gives
them preponderance, | am informed,
in the affairs of that territority," the
letter continued. THAT mistake of
Hawaii must not and it is determined
shall not be repeated here. !"
The spirit of existing anti-aien laws
land and immigration agreements have
been evaded through the employment
Of legal and other subterfuges to such
an extent that the purposes of these
measures have been frustrated, he
charged. He referred to the suspen
sion of antiAsiatic legislation in the
state during the peace conference at
the request of Secretary Lansing, but
held that decisive action was necessary
now.
THE japanese, be it said to their
credit, are not of a servile or docile
stock" the letter continues. "Proud
of their traditions and history, exultant
as they justly are at the extraordinary
career of their country, they brook no
sggestion of any dominant or superior
race. And it is just becase they pos
sess these attributes in such a marked
degree and feel more keenly the social
and race barriers which our people in
stinctively raise against them that they
are driven to that race isolation and,
fear. ultimately will reach that race
resentment which portends danger to
the peace of our state in the future.
1--WE have faith in the willingness and
power of our common country TO pro-
tect its every part from foreign dan
ger. We also have faith. however. in
the intelligence of the japanese empire
to understand our attitude and recog-
nize that it is prompted solely by that
inherent desire of every race and type
of neople TO protect itself.
Governor Stephens said he feared
that the initiative measure, if passed,
might fall short of its purpose through
the Japanese retaining possession Of ag-
ricultural lands through personal en-
ployment contracts and that therefore
government action was necessary.
The governors 8 letter accompanied an
exhaustive statement by the state board
of control on the status of the japanese
in California and was prompted by the
revelations in the statement.