Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-08-14
NOW rs THE TIME.


Keep the japanese out of L. Paso valley was
the substance Ct resolution passed at meeting Of
the Realty Board Of E paso this week. on motion of
A. p. Coles, prominent dealer and extensive prop
ery owner. He said that if the orientas got started
in the valley they would push out other races one
tract Of 900 acres there has been contracted for by
Japanese and another is being considered.
The lei Paso realtors are right But the Mesa
valley bordering the Texas valley is equally coveted
by the Japanese.
The coming session Of the New Mexico legislature
will largely be composed of representatives of the
early settlers and native people OF this state. They
have bla2ed path--the California law-to follow in
protective legislation, to their fellow-citizehs
from being submerged by alien Japanese
supplemental law to prevent evasions is to be
brought before the Legislature soon through initiative
petitions signed by several hundred thousand peo-
pie One both of those acts can be enacted in
toto by the legislature of New Mexico. If California
makes them stick in contests through the courts,
New Mexico also enforce them
The journal has copy of the initiative measure
which was prepared by expert attorneys for the anti
Asiac Association of California with n membership
Of $4,000 people.
That aspirants for the legislative positions con-
slider and determine to avoid the evil that came
to California, is highly important There will be
found some leader who will champion protection to
people and communities moro important than the
plans Of speculative landowners who secure
more money from Japanese than from other classes
of tenants and purchasers.
When, in absence of laws forbidding land owner
ship by aliens, the policy the Japanese in acquir-
ing land threatened trouble, California passed in
1913 law forbading to aliens ineligible to citizen
ship the right to agricultural lands to lease
such lands for n longer term than three years
Since then the japanese have sought to evade
that law in several ways--by incorporation with
dummy white directors and by purchase in the names
of Japanese children born in California, the land
being managed and its profits used by elders
CARELESS Of the minor. The courts where their at
tention has been called thereto have ruled that the
latter practice is plain evasion or the law and
illegal.
The proposed initiative measure seeks first toI
the oopholes in the law of 1913 by use of which
the japanese evadng its plain intent, and. Sec
ond 10 prevent short leases
The initiative measure does proposes, nothing
not plainly necessary to prevent defeat Of these two
objects. There is no interference with II minor save
law. The measure expressly provides that every
alien ineligible to citizenship shall enjoy all rights
in connection with ownership control of agrcul-
tural lands accorded him by treaty, and not other
wise.
Long leases to japanese prove in practice to bel
as injurious ownership Short leases run into long
leases through renewals since the presence of theI
japanese under short leases drives out the whitesl
and the land at the end Of the period Of leasel
be leased to aJpanese find lessee.
The initiative therefore, follows the only
plan permitted to state authority, and in harmony
with the spirit of the treaty, which will discouraged
the control of the rich agricultural lands of thel
state by Japanese and the steady growth of an alien,
population