The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-08
Secret Service Agents See More
Than Colonization Scheme.
Browns Concentrate on Mexi.
can Side of the Border.
WAR DEPARTMENT WARNED
Harlingen, Texas, Move Only
Second Step of Plan.
Are Now 100000 japanese Just
Across the Line.

San Antonio. Jan. S.--According to
United States secret service operatives
here, the attempted colonization of the
Rio Grande valley by Japanese is
part of a gigantic military scheme by
the brown men to place able fodied
fighters along the entire An ericar
side of the Mexican border. from
Brownsville to El Paso.
The United States operatives have
had their eye on the increasingly large
number of japanese that have ac-
quired acreage along the Mexican side
of the international border for some
time. They estimate that at the pres
ent time. there are approximately
100000 able bodied Japanese living in
the northern part of Mexico.
Movements Are Mysterious.
Information has already been sent
to the war department at Washington
regarding the peculiar actions of sew
eraI Japanese who have acquired
farming lands near the Rio Grande on
the Mexican side who. after having
the farm stocked with horses and ma
chinery. disappear for several weeks
at a time leaving the farms in the
These japanese, according to the
secret service men, were map makers,
who even succeeded in slipping INTO
the United States and mapping the
terrain on this side of the line. A1ter
holding TIE farms for several months
under these conditions. the Japanese
owners called the Mexican workers to-
gether and gave them the land ana
farm machinery outright.
The secret service operatives mere
consider t. Harlingen Japanese incl
dent asrthe first move of the Oriental
government toward military colonial
tion OF this side of the river.
New Move Blocked.
Harlingen. Tex, Jan: S.-Quick ac-
tion followed reports here that elght-
cen japanese were concentrated on the
Santa Maria ranch. citizens of Harlln-
gen and Brownsville making hurried
trip in two automobiles to the ranch
to notify the Orientals that their pres
ence in the valley was undesirable
However. they found only three
JaDanes,e there, two having been resi-
dents for some time and the third
Japanese who passed thru Harlingen
Monday. The trio was not molested.
and We're told they were at liberty to
Await the arrival of Kishi from Cali
fornia, who is reported to be instru-
mertal in attempting TO colonize the
valley win Japanese.
Legion on the job.
With feeling which ran high against
the two japanese families who arrived
this week, gradually dying down. be-
cause of reported promises of the
Orientals to return to California. resi-
dents OF the valley were resuming nor
NAL duties again.
American Legion members are said
to have promised aid to the Japanese
~
from z. Yamata. rich California Jap
anese land owner. The japanese here
stated they knew of no laws against
th~-n when they purchased the land.
9 Kishi, land agent, is scheduled to
a~-'ve here from California Sunday
n It or Monday morning for confer
o. : with American Legion men re-
z ding the situation.
Old Law Won't Help.
Dallas, Tex. Jan. S.-The Texas law
prohibiting land ov ming in Texas by
nonresident aliens will not solve the
R:o Grande valley Japanese colonial
tion problem. prominent attorneys de-
clared here today.
Judge F. NJ. Ethelridge, comment
ing on a report that Harlingen Amer
lean Legion attorneys had "discov-
cred" the law. which was passed in
1892. said most of it had been held
unconstitutional by the supreme
Too Many Loopholes.
Other legal authorities declared
there were so many loopholes in the
law that it would be an easy matter
for Japanese colonists to evade it. and
pointed out that it did not interfere
with aliens who now hold land, nor
with those declaring intention of be-
coming inhabitants of Texas and con-
tains conditional clauses for non-resi-
dent aliens.
Dispatches from Austin said this law
was the only one affecting land own
ing by aliens in Texas. First Assist
ant Attorney General Keeling said a
formal opinion could not be forthcom-
ing until all facts in the Rio Grande
valley fight had been laid before his