The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-12-14
TI-JAPANESE LEG
ISLATION in OFFING
(From the Oregon Voter.l }

Legislation aimed at occupation O
agricultural land by Japanese is Ger
tain to furnish one of the live issues O.
the 1923 legislature. The fact that tn,
/ Ku Klux Klan. the American Legion
Governor-elect Pierce and numerous
individual members of the legislature
have all declared in favor of such leg
islation makes it likely that it will be
enacted. In substance. the Legislation
would be similar to that already on the
statute books of California and w ash.
ington.
Considerable prestige has been given
the movement by recent court decision.
The constitutionality of important pro-
visions of the California law has been
upheld by lower courts and is pending
on appeal. This week the United
States Supreme Court ruled that under
the federal naturalization law, Japan
ese could not be classified as members
Of the white race or of African de-
scent, and hence were ineligible to
citizenship via the naturalization route.
As both the California and Washington
laws. as we'll as the bills heretofore
considered in Oregon. forbid ownership
or leasing Of lands by aliens ineligible
for citizenship. the supreme court has
cleared up one Of the principal consti-
tutional points involved.
Three times the anti-Japanese land
bill was nearly enacted in Oregon. II
was presented in the legislature twice,
and in each instance the Portland
Chamber Of Commerce made such an
impressive showing against it that il
failed Of passage. The first time, it
was killed without coming to a vote in
the house of its origin. The second
time IL passed the house by a large
majority and failed of passage in the
senate by a close margin. One of the
reasons Senator Banks, of Portland,
was defeated for denomination was be-
cause be had the courage to lead the
tight against the bill on the floor of the
senate. He felt the Portland Chamber
Of Commerce was right. and suffered
the consequences politically. as both
the ku Klux Klan and the service
mems political organizations were
against him for this reason.
The third time the measure came up
was when the American Legion spon-
sored il rs an initiative bill. The La-
gion tiled to obtain enough signatures
TO get it on the ballot. but as it EN-
plOyed no paid circulators its petition |
failed. Such is the usual fate Of petit |
tions sponsored By organizations which |
disoain to employ the professional sig |
nature hounds. There is no question /
but what the measure would have been 4
enacted by q heavy majority had il /
been placed upon the ballot.
In California, the question is a burn
ing issue, due 10 the large Japanese
population in that state. Washington
has a fair-sized japanese colony, 80
t Is quite a live issue there. In Ore
gons the japanese population is so
mall as TO make the problem a neglig-
bic one in except in one or two neigh
lorhoods. In the Hood River Valley,
he japanese have saved the stfswber-
. commercially; in fact. have built il
- until carload shipments Of straw
ferries bring a large annual income 70
he valley. Yet the presence Of these
Industrious japanese has alarmed most
4 the valley residents with the dread
hat unless checked the japanese will
axe the entire valley. apple orchards
nd all Capt. George R. Wilbur, Of
Iced River. a pioneer in anti-Japancse
and agitation, has been elected head
I the American Legion in Oregon. + 4
'hile be is q thoughtful and reason 3
bic man Of fne intellect high moral
urpose and conservative instinct, bis s
lnvictions on this subject are ground
in years Of study Of the whole prob =,
M in a bread way az well IS in its To- {
j application. His elevation % the g
I'd Il the Legion has q great deal Of =
gnifcance. 1t means that the issue
90 be q real one thst cannot be Z
lietly buried. lC