SAN FRANCISCO AND THE JAPANESE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11120, 20 July 1907, Page 1 (Supplement)

SAN FRANCISCO AND THE JAPANESE.

* ■ ■'•■ . ■'- * ' .• " ->:•"::' '" ' SAW FBANCISCO, May 29. . The Japan Association hgs issued a statement to the effect that the Japanese realise thaC present conditions m San Francisco make it impossible for the authorities to extend full protection to them. \ They are fully convinced that much of the violence to which they have been subjected is due to racial prejudices notwithstanding statements to the contrary. As a proof of this, they pointy out that Japanese restaurants are systematically annowd and simultanously attacked. Hardly: a .day. passes without some threatening demonstration by hooligans against Japanese business houses} whereas no other nationality is subjected to' such demonstrations. The statement declares that the Japanese are engaged m peaceful and lawful occupations, and believe themselves fully justified jn protesting against acts which jeopardise their lives and property. They denounce the criticisms which attribute their complaints to mere caprice, (and regret the necessity of asking for special police protection, but believe it jjt wiser to do so now than •. to wait Until "overt aciion by the mob elements pre : cipitates more serious troubles, and possibly bloodshed." Ths San Francisco police are said to escuse themselves for jiot protecting the Japanese by the plea that their hands wc-re full m dealing with, .the strike of tramway employes and the disturbances which prevail m consequence of the general labor unrest; As a matter of fact the police are. doing nothing to present strike disturbances. Dinan, the indicted chief of police, has compelled his subordinates to sympathise, with the strikers, and the notorious Mayor Schmitz has. taken not one step with a view to ensuring order; Indeed there is more than a suspicion that the industrial war now raging m San Francicsp was started for sinister purposes; that the labor union leaders, f earful" that exposure of the frightful corruption on the part of the officials whq they elected to govern^ the| city ; would result m sweeping the unions from political power, or-, dered: the piesent struggle so as to terrorise citizens who were opposed to them.