The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-22
INFLUX OF LAPS |. GROWS ALARMING, SAYS STEPHENS
California Governor Sees Grave Menace in Rapidly Increasing Japanese
 Population of State
By Associated Press

Sacramento, Cal, June H.-The influx l, of Japanese into California has brought about alarming conditions. and it has become necessary to protect the sover- eginty of the state against this growing menace" through diplomatic negotiations or a strict exclusion act, Gov. William D. Stephens said in letter addressed to Secretary of State Colby today. Governor Stephens expressed the hope
 in the letter that the initiative measure now being projected in the state to deny Asiatcs the right to all land purchases
 or leaseholds would be adopted by the electorate by an overwhelming majority.
 While California harbors no animosity against the Japanese people. he said, the state does not wish them to settle within
 her borders and to develop a Japanese
 population in her midst. He asks that
 immediate negotiations be entered into
 with the empire of Japan to make inn possible any further "evasionS or exist
 ing immigration agreements and to make
 such agreement as rigorous as pos sible.
 "Twenty years ago our Japanese popu-
 lation was nominal" the letter said.
 Ten years ago the census reports of the
 United States government showed a. Japanese population in California of A. 356. A computation and survey recently made by the board of control of the state of California indicates that this Japanese population has been more than
 doubled-amountine now to % 2l9"
 FEDERAL ACTION NECESSARY
 Governor stephens said he feared that the initiative measure. if passed might fall short of it's purpose through the Japanese retaining possession Of agricul- tural lands through personal employment contracts and that therefore government
 action was necessary.
 Although respecting Japanese culture and advancement and the right of Japan to true development, Governor Stephens held that "the people of California are determined to repress developing Jap anese community in our midst. They are determined to exhaust every power In their keeping to maintain this state for it's own people"
 After stating that "the blood fusion Of the Occdent and the Orient has no- where ever successfully taken place, Governor Stephens said that California views with alarm the rapid growth Of these people within the last decade in population, as swell as in land control and foreSees in the not distant future the gravest menace of serious conflict if this development is not immediately and ef- Actively checked"
 The spirit of existing anti-alien laid laws and immigration agreements has been evaded through the employment Of legal and other subterfuges to such an extent that the purposes of the measures have been frustrated, Governor Stephens charged He referred to the suspension of anti-Asiatic legislation in the state during the peace conference at the re- quest of Secretary of tSate Lansing. but held that decisive action was necessary now. N4Es5
 "The Japanese are not of a servile or docile stock" the letter continued. Proud
 of their traditions and history, they brook no suggestion of any dominant or superior race, and it is just because they
 possess these attributes and feel more keenly the social and race barriers which
 our people raise against them that they are driven to race isolation, and, I fear, ultimately will reach that race resentment
 which portends danger to the peace of our state in the future"