CALIFORNIA AND THE JAPANESE.

Grey River Argus, 31 December 1920, Page 2

CALIFORNIA AND THE JAPANESE.

For a long time past there has been proceeding an agitation, the main theatre of which may be regarded as the Pacific Ocean, upon the racial question. Some time ago masters reached a crisis when the State of California, acting chiefly on its own initiative, held'a referendum upon a proposed law prohibiting Asiatics from leasing or owning agricultural lajid either individually or as members of a corporation. The popular vote was decidedly in favour of the proposal, and since then the Federal authorities in Washington have readily ruled that legislation of the kind, being within the competence of the State, will not be either questioned or challenged by Federal authority. The problem has become acute, strangely enough, because of the concessions made 13 • years ago to Japan. Eastern races generally are excluded fTom the United States by direct legislation. The right of a nation to exclude whom it pleases, cannot now be challenged (except in. one decisive way), and had Japanese been included in that and earlier restrictive legislation no complaint could have been sustained. A concession was made to Japanese' sentiment, and this took the form of a agreement" of 1907, under which Japan undertook to refuse passports to all ordinary Japanese labourers, with the exception of . former residents in the United States, therr parents, wives, and children, and "settled agriculturalists/- The delicate point is. that so far as the agreement operates.it places the interpretation and therefore the control of immigration- in the hands of Japan, aiM not in the hands, of the United States. The agreement has not worked satisfactorily. * There was a considerable reduction in the number of /immigrants immediately following the agreement, but since 1913 the increase has been continuous. The Japanese a. few years ago came as labourers. Economically they were an asset to the State, because although they were, content, having earned some money, to return* to their country or to send money, to 'their people, their value as labourers was considerable. As time went on, however, Japanese beigan to turn their attention to the land, with the intention of becoming residents. They sent for wives, who were obtained by an exchange of photographs. - These women became known as "picture brides,", and were very soon an element in the controversy. The children born of' these marriages— and the birth rate is high— became American citizens, eligible legally for the .position of President of the United States. The . Calif ornian is now prepared to take his stand on either one of two counts. If the Japanese is a mere, casual, intending to earn *,!! :!;r

money he can as quickly rs hi? c'ftn. and return to his own country, he is no real citizen, and is not wanted.If, on the other hand, lie takes ujy'i land,; sends for a wife, rears a family and becomes a citizen, he is wanted still less. -The Japanese seek the very best ou the land. They have utilised ' the improyements-whieh irrigation has rendered possible/ and they. arc, moreover, on the richest land in. the valley of the Sacramento, to the north of San Francisco, and there, is settlement in large numbers at Los Angeles .and near the southern border. An official report furnished ' this year shows that Oriental landholders have greatly in- ' creased in number. There are 11,000,r 000 acres of improved farming land in California, of which 3,893,500 are irrigated, and of this area 623,000. are owned or leased, by Asiatics, including 458,000 held by Japanese. In many portions of the State th^r.e are large colonies of Japanese, and- in some places their number exceeds that of the white population. "These Japanese," says, the official report, -<< by reason of their use of economic standards* impossible to whit© ideals—that is "to say, the employment of their wives, and their very young children in the arduous toil of the soil— are proving'crushing competitors to our white rural population." - This report was forwarded to Washington, with a. covering, letter, in which it was stated .that the Calif ornians were' "determined to repress a developing Japanese community within our midst,'* 'and to "exhaust every power in. their keeping to maintain this State for its own people." Beyond the Western States it is recognised that .discriminating-leg-islation against, any class of residentswho have beea admitted to the country will not solve anything. There is something "-un-American" in establishing a "spotted" citizenship,- and the irritation caused by it would become acute. There have been some comments in the .Eastern Press against the ''' demagogic habit of Calif ornia in acting independently of the Government of Washington, » while other papers express the fear that the competition f oi- the Calif ornian <• vote amongst the parties conducting their Presidential campaign "will lead to increased friction between the two great Powers." The New York "Evening Post" expresses the opinion that Japanese admitted to the country are entitled to the same rights and privileges in '. any part of it as any- other aliens." The law which California proposes is regarded by the "Post" as "calculated to offend Japanese sensibilities at a time .when the two Governments are endeavouring to find a permanent solution of the problem. Now the ' Japanese say they will never let this question remain decided as against them. There have been intermittent agitations in Japan for long on the subject. However, every person of '■ sane mind, will wish and 'believe that all the difficiilties will be surmounted before the feeling reaches a crisis.. But it is undeniable that America just now might be figuratively presented as standing on the western slopes,- Titbits eyes shaded and gazing over the .- Pacific. There is to be a Pacific fleet, , and this fleet, is to have its t pwn flag- , ship. Public notices are exhibited in- , 5 viting Calif ornians to man the Pacific . fleet. There has been -Some criticism 1 against dividing the fleet, but the tinf swer to that has been made by some if papers, including the " New* York Trir bune," which says: "It is true there. r should be one fleet only, but it should . be in the Pacific." The Western, mili- . tary defences have been strengthened. r ever since the war, and a very strong 3 outpost is being- created in the Hawai- . .ian. Islands. In one camp alone, provi- . sion is being made in Oahu (on which, j is Honolulu) for a camp of 20,000 n\eh. 3 That city ,in fact,*is a strong naval. . and military centre, every entrance* to . it being well guarded. These operav tions are to a certain extent discounted j by the fact that all over America, just ; nbwjjhere is an activer movement to T maintain and strengthen .the army and . navy. In New York.and other" eastern . cities an energetic canvass is -being '< , Carried on for men . willing., to join ' the t army. There is everywhere "evidence >• that America is going ttirougti a period , of % exuberance which, is. not content j with the satisfying conviction that- if -. 3 has won one war, but is prepared to ' . win another. That tendency, it may - , be expected, will be cheeked with th.c I advent of a new Admimstra^ibn, com.- -, mitted to economy. But in the.mean-, 5 time, while politicians are "tongue--j thrashing" each other, the ..jnilitarj;' . party (a fine irony of history) is going ,;- , through an acute phase of "deferred , preparedness." Some say;- that; the , Japanese • should be given,' f ree.':aceess . to such lands as are unsuitable for . whites, and that, for iiisian^V a>,white...- --; Australia, or California.,. together; with. ' a brown Pacific may -be, the ultimate . solution. It all depends upon the adop- ~ • tion. of a reasonable compromise . and this all will- earnestly pray for.. But / the proposed /discrimination .against white aliens as well as brown, will not solve the. 'problem. • • " ,