Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-26

Chinese arrested the more Chinese
! Americans are created.
In New York some time ago
! United States District Attorney
| Buckner decided to have a cleaning
| out of Chinatown and, without the
assistance of the Department of
Labor officers, he rounded up I,500
Cinnamon day for several days
| The outcome was less than $50 de-
| portees out of several thousands Of
arrests-with the danger of litiga-
| ton for damages for false arrests.
! Or at least there might have been
such danger except for the fact that
| no Chinaman has ever been known
| to recognize American courts to the
extent of appealing TO American
! laws for justice. They have their
tongs for their own protection, their
own laws, their own "extraterrf-
torialtty,' although unsanctioned by
the Government of these "barbaric
Americans"
1t is estimated (but not known
that there are about 100000 Chinese
in the United States nova less
number than were here some 40 or
90 years ago.
x X II
Representative Miller is closely
associated in his Seattle law prac-
tice with Chinese, for his partner is
attorney for the wealthiest Chinese
railroad builder in the Orient and
makes frequent visits to China.
Mr.. Miller states that the tong"
IS derived from genealogical lines,
all original members of tong trac-
ing their descent from a common
ancestor back a thousand wears or
farther. These descendants may
number tens of thousands i'm a single
tong in China, all living in the same
neighborhood and recognizing their
own chief Provision Is now made
FOR admitting as members those not
of the blood kin, but a common
ancestry is the fundamental basis of
the tong system.
a tong which is offended by an
other tong will avenge it's wrong
upon the entire tong offending-kilI-
ing members of the enemy tong, re-
CARELESS of their innocence of any
part in the offense. They must do
so or lose face" and the other tong
retaliates in the same way. No
court is appealed to for vengeance
or justice; that rests with the tong.
"A Chinaman is honest and reliable;
he will not cheat or steal. according
10 Mr.. Miller. In the interior of
emma, where the natives are uncon-
taminated by Occidental corruption of
morals, the stores have no statesmen;
and even in the absence of the pro-
prletor customer may enter, select
what he wants, note the price plainly
marked, lay down his payment and
walk out with the goods. All interior
OF China is d ''piggly-wiggly." with
out cashiers. But woe to any who
dares take goods without putting up
the correct pay. There is no long
trial; he is simply beheaded, and that
en6s it. If any robber steals from
a member of a tong. the whole tong
takes up the chase and kills him with
out ceremony.
The Chinese have as keen distrust =
of American courts as we have of
Chinese courts; yet while we have
claimed by treaties the extraterTi-
torial right to maintain our own
courts in China and to try our own
citizens according to American laws.
even under Chinese government. no
demand has ever been made by Chi
nese in America for similar conces-
sionS here. They simply execute their
tong laws here without bothefing 10
ask for our authority to do so.
All parties agree that the new OUT
break of tong warfare has nothing to
do with the civil war in China, nor
with Chinese antagonism to foreign
ers, for here they are not fighting
anybody but fellow Chinese. In fact
no Chinaman, whether a citizen or
alien, has ever been known to under
take TO criticize our Government or
institutions or CUSTOMS practice of
laissez faire which Europeans cominn
here, either to reside or just TO lee
ture. have not conspicuously emulated.
There are two distinct classes of
Chinese in America. The educated,
whether born here or imnigrated. be-
long to the Nationalistic or Cantonese
people. The laundrymen are mostly
from the Shantung region-north
China. Many of the Cantonese IN
America are graduates of our high
schools and universities and speak ex-
cellent English. The wealthy China.
man who is now the James j. H.
of China formerly lived In Seattlef
where he was an intimate friend or
our late empire builder OF the North
west"-Mr. Hill. He educated his
three sons here-one in higher man
agement of business. one as civil
engineer and the third as an electrical
engineer - all university graduates.
Now the trio operate. one of the prin-
.ipal railroads in China, built by the
father.
toswzisAs- 1919. ~ Paul v. coiiinsl