The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-01-29
PHELAN GETS
LOCAL SUPPORT
SECRETARY SCOTT SENDS MESSAGES
Oregon Senators Asked to Support Con-
stitutiOnal Amendment Against
Japanese Citizenship

K. f. Scott wired Senators Cham
berlain and McNary Friday, asking
their support of the Phelan resolution
which calls for constitutional amend
nept DENYING citizenship 70 all Japan
go t'o,n 81 AWeg'esn soil. Mr. Scott's
Tel leg EiHS Sege.
Senator PheiaI' PROPOSED eCnstitu-
tional amendment denying citizenship
to American born Japanese has unQual-
lfied support of Hood River county.
The problem. here is fast becoming
what Senator Phelan describes it in
California. We will appreciate your
help"
The Anti Asiatic Association has
called for a special meeting tonight,
when committees will be appointed for
considering the proposed local gentle
man S agreement with the Hood River
japanese Farmers Association. The
Japanese, who assert that they are
feeling a preiudieial effect from the
activities Of the Anti-Asiatic Associa-
ton, offer to prevent further lmmigra-
tion or purchase of land by japanese if
the organization will temper its work
While the proposed agreement is re-
eeivlng the serious consideration of
some OF the association members, Off
cials do not believe in any compromise,
and 1t is thought the offer will fail.
Under Senator Phelan's amendment
only persons whose parents are white,
Africans, American Indians or their
descendants and all persons: ::naturalized
in the United States and subject to the
jurisdiction thereof would be eligible
for citizenship.
''ln a short time, :" said Senator Phe-
Ian, the Japanese will own all the
best lands in California unless re
strained. 1t is necessary. therefore,
10 deny citizenship to japanese born
on our soil and discourage their pres
ence. thus preventing race conflicts
and the saving of the white population
from deterioration.
This gentlemen's agreement prop
osition, declares Geo X. Wilbur, ''is
really unfortunate. II may lead out
siders to think that the existing Japan
ese population and the whites here are
at swords point This is not the case
at all We are not concerned about
the Japanese now here, but we do
want to prevent further inroad Of
Japanese, not only to Hood River but
to any other American community. We
are living very peacefully with our
existing Japanese population, and we
have nothing against them as individu-
ais, but we feel that we must continue
our agitation for an amendment to the
national constitution that will withhold
citizenship to Japanese babies born in
this country. The question is ma
tlonal one, and one that we must con-
slider in the abstract. The proposed
local agreement issabsurd.
Leroy Childs holds similar opinion.
He points out that a charge of selfish
ness has been made against Orchardsts
forming the Anti-Asiatic Association
here, in that it was alleged that their
activities were born of fear of the
competition Of Japanese farmers. He
points out that the charge might Ger
tainly be sustained if the orchardists,
thinking they might end their own
problems, entered local gentlemen s
agreement, permitting the rest of the
country to take care of itself.
K. E. Scott, who wired Senators Me-
Nary and Chamberlain asking their
support Of the Phelan resolution, re-
ceived reply from the former Friday.
Senator McNary telegraphed Am
IN sympathy with Senator Phelan {
resolution denying citizenship to Amer
i,op born