Part 10 (2/2)

Of more startling importance are the facts with reference to j.a.panese immigration to the mainland territory of the United States, which are given in the same volume as follows:

Immigration by political periods:

1891-1900 24,806 1901-1905 64,102 1905-1906 14,243 1906-1907 30,226 ------ Total 133,377

During the last six years there have come to the United States (Report of Bureau of Immigration) 90,123 j.a.panese male adults.

In California the j.a.panese const.i.tute more than one-seventh of the male adults of military age:

Caucasian males of military age 262,694 j.a.panese males of military age 45,725

In Was.h.i.+ngton the j.a.panese const.i.tute nearly one-ninth of the male population of military age:

Caucasian males of military age 163,682 j.a.panese males of military age 17,000

The foregoing rapidly increasing tide of Asiatic immigration forced attention to the subject, and in 1908 the j.a.panese government agreed voluntarily with the United States that in future pa.s.sports should not be issued by the j.a.panese government to laborers desiring to emigrate from j.a.pan to the United States. This temporarily checked this cla.s.s of immigration and in the year ending June 30, 1908, the total immigration fell to 16,418; the year ending June 30, 1909, to 3,275; the year ending June 30, 1910, to 2,798.

But note the steady increase since then! Year ending June 30, 1911, 4,575; year ending June 30, 1912, 6,172; year ending June 30, 1913, 8,302; year ending June 30, 1914, 8,941.

These figures, however, give no adequate conception of the actual facts, as they have developed in California during the last ten years in such a way as to stimulate racial controversy. Some of the most beautiful and productive sections of the fruit-growing regions of California have been entirely absorbed by j.a.panese. Caucasian communities have become j.a.panese communities. Such a transformation is certainly not one that is calculated to allay racial controversy.

The alien land law of California will not allay racial controversy--it will intensify it. j.a.pan has protested against it, as she protested against our acquisition of Hawaii, and there has been no withdrawal of her protests.

The j.a.panese government has shown a disposition to mitigate the danger of controversy by limiting the emigration of j.a.panese to this country, but that government can not control her people after they come to this country.

If they cannot buy land they will lease it. That leads to all the trouble indicated in the following newspaper item:

”Tacoma, Wash., Jan. 5 (1915).--The Tacoma delegation to the legislature, which will meet on January 11, has been notified that a bill will be introduced for a State referendum on a law to prevent leasing of Was.h.i.+ngton land to Asiatics. Many members of the legislature are pledged to support the measure.

”j.a.panese gardeners, it is contended, are increasing in numbers, getting the best land about the cities under lease, and some of them lease land for 99 years or have a trustee buy it for them. Many j.a.panese marry 'picture brides' and later have their leases of t.i.tles transferred to their infant sons and daughters born here.

”An amendment submitted in November permitting aliens to own land in cities was overwhelmingly defeated.”

There is very little doubt that the majority of the j.a.panese on the Pacific Coast are soldiers, veterans of the j.a.panese wars, and that in case of war j.a.pan could mobilize on our territory between the Pacific Ocean and the inaccessible mountains const.i.tuting the Cascade and Sierra Nevada Ranges, more j.a.panese soldiers who are right now in that territory than we have United States troops in the whole mainland territory of the United States, or will have when our army is enlisted up to its full strength of 100,000 men.

The figures given in ”The Valor of Ignorance” show that in 1907 there were 62,725 j.a.panese of military age in the States of Was.h.i.+ngton and California.

Since then, up to June 30, 1914, the j.a.panese immigration has been 50,481, and nearly all of those who come are men of military age. So that now we have no doubt more trained j.a.panese soldiers in California, Oregon and Was.h.i.+ngton, than our entire standing army if it were enlisted to its full quota of 100,000 men, including every soldier we have, wherever he may be stationed.

And at the rate they are now coming, in ten years we will have more than our entire standing army would then be if we increased it to 200,000, as the Militarists urge should be done.

_What are we going to do about it?_

That is the question that stares every citizen of the United States straight in the face.

It may be that all cannot be brought to agree as to what ought to be done, but certainly all must agree that something should be done, and it is equally certain that neither an Exclusion Law, nor an Alien Land Law, nor an Alien Leasing Law, will settle the question, or relieve the strain of racial compet.i.tion that is certain, unless obviated, to eventually breed an armed conflict with j.a.pan.

The same author who has been previously quoted, referring to the Philippine Islands, says:

”The conquest of these islands by j.a.pan will be less of a military undertaking than was the seizure of Cuba by the United States; for while Santiago de Cuba did not fall until nearly three months after the declaration of war, Manila will be forced to surrender in less than three weeks. Otherwise the occupation of Cuba portrays with reasonable exact.i.tude the manner in which the Philippines will be taken over by j.a.pan.”

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