EMIGRATION SUBTERFUGE.

Western Star, 21 March 1922, Page 2

EMIGRATION SUBTERFUGE.

"jy' m*m The drama of Japanese colonisation Hi America- proceeds despite the bickerings audi by-plays of the "gentlemen's agreement," writes* a- San Franoi'jco Correspondent, and the opening of the New. Year has unfoMled' a re-" newed vista of opportunity for the little brown people of the Mikado's ides to populate the American shores of the- Pacific. i

Britishers are already aware of the notorious "picture bride" arrangement whereby the marriageable maids of Japan sent their photographs to the United States, and some lovesick Japanese worker' on the Pacific Coast made his', selection .'and then communicated with the bride-elect, who forthwith l journeyed over the Pacific Ocean to Sari Francisco> there to be met by the eager bridegroom, and a marriage ensued. It "was claimed that this was simply/ a subterfuge' byi which Japan sent her women to California to gain entry, into the tion on Angel Island, San Francisco, the WesEern American territory, , as, the resultant population was enabled to ob'tain votes as "native sons"—or daughters—of the Golden West, where the Japanese already dominate)several lines' of industry.

When this wholesale influx of Japanese was believed to have been checked und'er the i{ gentlemen's agreement," it was thought the problem had been settled . once and for all, but to-day the "kankodan.bride", is enthroned almost as highly as-was her twin sister, the " picture bridle,", a year ago. Statistics presented in San Franncisco show that during; the year' 11)21, 1283 Japanese married women were admitted for the first time to the United States through the port of San Francisco alone. Most p'f them were, newly njarried; wedded to domiciled Japanese who returned to their native land on " kankodans," or pleasure tours. They are the " kankodan brides."

In cold figures, and without comment, this startling state of affairs will be disclosed to the Federal Government at Washington jn the annual report of Commissioner of Immigration Edward White, of San Francisco. The totals, taken from the Government records at the immigration station on Angel Island, San Francisco, have "just been made public by Com-, missioner White, and they have caused some surprise throughout California, which is said' by «bme to be in danger of becoming a. Japanese

colony, similar to the Hawaiian Islands. ' Just how many of these 1243 married women were brides of a few weeks no one knows. The. immigration authorities have not been in-; structed, and therefore are not per-, mitted to delite into his phase of the evasion of the "gentlemen's agreement." That the percentage isi high is a known fact, however.