South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-02-27

y
has only commenced. As frontier
state she Is making the fight OF the
nation against the incoming rush OF
an alien. unassimilable race. she
must now educate the nation, con-
gress and the administration 10 aful
realization OF the situation and The
necessity for hmm ediate action or
the absolute exclusion OF the Japan
csc as well as CT other As!atic races"
Among the pro-Japanese McClat-
chg is ranked as an extremist Judge
Thomas Burke. OF Seattle. tower
Of dependability In the Pacific north
west. told me he depiored Cali
fornia's stand, but admitted at the
same time the possible need OF
STRENGTHENING the "gentlemen'A
agreement intended 20 prevent the
immigration Of Japanese laborers.
No Real Difference.
That Japan has scrupulously
observed this agreement" he told
me, mo unprejudiced person can
deny. though this is disputed by
propagandists against the Japanese
in California There is no real diff
ference between Japan and the
United States on the question OF i'm
migration and it can be settled with
out injury or injustice to either.
If the gentlemen's agreement re-
quires strengthening. or IL 1t should
be found that a treaty or new con-
vention would serve the purpose bet
ter, this could be done in friendly
way. sa safeguarding our own interests
but without wounding the pride Of
our neighbor."
Though anti-Japanese leaders in
/ California are talking Of forming a
! federation OF states on and near the
frontier between the occident and
I the orient" for the purpose OF ex-
I GLIDING the Japanese, and though In
my investigation along the coast a
/ widespread determination exists
| against further colonization" by AS
iatics, the bulk Of opinion among the
well informed clearly indicates the
/ failure of such a federation should
what might be called the California
/ idea" be insisted upon.
In Oregon there is no Japanese
/
where the Japanese are thick, and
lwhere they till the soil in direct
competition with the American
/ farmer-as in the Hood River valley
there is some agitation. But there
! is. as yet, no statewide feeling
against Japanese labor. Gov. Ben
! Olcott included an anti-Japanese sec
ton in his message 10 the state leg
! islature but he told me frankly he
harbored no animosity toward the
japanese now in his state and mere
! ly wished 10 guard against future
peril I'm the event the Japanese kept
on arriving.
Slight Opposition.
Ia the state OF Washington a
cross-section of public opinion would
shove even less opposition 10 the
Japanese than is found in Oregon.
Seattle. Seattle. rival port TO San
Francisco, Ia sopenly courted Jap
anese business, though the leading
citizens Just as openly oppose mass
colonization by Asiatics. The con-
stitution OF the stat. adopted more
than 80 years ago - consequently
long before Japanese colonization
was thought of-prohibits any alien
from acquiring title TO land. though
leasing is still possible.
Gov Hart is officially neither fof
. nor against the Japanese. Ameri.
can trade with Japan last year
amounted 10 something like billion
dollars-counting imports and et'
pOrts-and much of this was cleared
through the port OF Seattle. The
n governor naturally does not wish &C
: run counter TO the business inter.
ests Of his state. yet at the same
time he refuses TO antagonize tn,
fishing and farming elements more
or less hostile TO the japanese, whC