The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-03-04
The Japanese Rush to America
BY FREDERICK }. HAsKIN

WASHINGTON, Mar 3-Racial con-
flict between Japanese and white per-
! sons on the Pacific coast, If steps are
not soon taken to stop the steady in
| flow of Japanese immigration, is pre-
dicted by Mr.. V. S. McClatchy, of
California, and others who testified
recently before the House of Immigra-
ton committee. The committee and
| the State Department are expected
to take up the question of Japanese
| immigration again later in the year.
i Meanwhile, under the "gentlemen's
agreement" the Japanese continue to
| import large numbers of their nation
ais. The agreement, which was sup
posed to have the same effect as an
/ exclusion law, has proved a flimsy
barrier with innumerable loopholes,
as immigration figures since 1907
, show
| The Japanese have shown remark
able ingenuity in finding these loop
holes. The agreement was supposed
by Americans virtually to put an end
to Japanese immigration, with the
reasonable exception that those in
this country might send back for their
wives and children. The possibilities
of this privilege soon began to sur
prise the American government.
Comparatively few of the Japanese
men in this country had left wives
in the orient But Japanese batche-
lors began to send their photographs
back to Japan and to be married by
Ipicture to Japanese maidens who then
came to America as wives.
| This agreement allowed children TO
l. =,
Japanese to include adopted children
| Mr.. McClatchy says: "Any Japan
csc in this country may formally adopt
a number of children, or men OF
women, in Japan, younger than him
self. and these children after certain
period have the right of entry into
this country The children may later
divorce themselves from their adop
ted parents and then bring over theil
blood relatives; and SO the flow OF
Japanese is maintained regardless OF
our understanding of the agreement.
This scheme has been used, but 1t has
never been so popular as the picture
bride system, probably because ex
tensive importation of adopted fami
lies would be sure to raise queries
and objections in the United States
NEW MARRIAGE SySAcH'
The picture brides eventually arous
ed such protests, and Japan amlcablN
agreed to stop giving them passports
; but an equally efficient system o
supplying brides to wireless japanese
was soon instituted, so that more
brides than ever are being imported
The stream of Japanese brides is th'
most disturbing factor in the Japanes'
|
! csc exclusion was seriously threaten
: ed, there was only one japanese WON
/. an in the United States to twenty
five men. Now statistics show on
to every three men. due to a con
siderable extent to the picture pride N
vasion. and lately to the Kankodal
bride system.
Japanese in this country worked fas
A during the II years in which pictur
brides were not banned, but after tina
, method of marriage aroused protes
!. there were still forty of fifty thous
!. and unmarried japanese in the Unite
. States. The solution was the kankt
y dan-meaning excursion.
1t was pointed out to the Japanes
: bachelor in America that there wa
:, no reason why he could not take
: wife, especially if excursions mad
, such voyage cheap. The main diff
Guilty was the law by which any JaI
anese male adult of military age VIII
Z returned to Japan and stayed NOR
:, than 80 days was liable to conscriptio
: duty. The japanese in this countr
protested that 80 days was too short
e time to allow for finding bride. S
the law was altered to allow soda
l, stay-for japanese seeking wives onl.
y Other Japanese returning on bushes
or pleasure still have only 80 day
immunity.
y Toxic Encourages Marriages
Z Individual Japanese would not b
likely to return in large numbers
seek wives without encouragement
Mr.. McClatchy says that commissio