» * Facts About Japanese in America Anti-Japanese Agitation Reiiited BY JUNZOJASAMORI December 1, 1921 Central Japanese Association of Southern California 258 Jackson Street, Los Angeles, California Facts About Japanese in America Anti- Japanese Agitation Refuted OBJECT OF THIS PAMPHLET The purpose of this monograph is to furnish true information regarding the Japanese in the Pacific Coast and other parts of the United States, and make it better known to Americans and Europeans. In myriad ways the Japanese in the United States have promoted America's welfare. Both men and women have rendered their adopted country valuable services. The Japanese are an indus rious people; they have made contribution to the weahh and prosperity of the United States. JAPANESE POPULATION IN AMERICA; INCREASE AND DECREASE . While the tide of arrivals from Japan in America has fluctuated, year by year, the growth of Japanese population (including native-born) may be seen at a glance, decade by decade. 1870... 1880.. The 1890. . . 1900. . . 1910. 1920,.... following reader a general 55 148 2,039 24,326 72,157 111,025 .table has, been prepared with the view of giving the idea of the course . of Japanese immigration. Some of the figures are not so exact and accurate as they might be. They indicate approximately the arrivals of Japanese in continental United States, also the departures, in the fiscal year during a third of a century, 1886-1920, inclusive : , Year Arrivals 1886 194 1887 229 1888 404 1889 640 1890 691 1891 1,136 1892 1,498 1893. 1894. 1895. 1896. 1897. 1,380 1,931 1,150 1,110 1,526 1898 2,230 1899 3,395 1900 12,626 1901 5,249 1902 5,330 1903 7,128 Departures 70 65 67 76 ■ 73 168 343 356 391 347 367 388 671 833 1,006 866 1,013 1,028 Gain 124 164 337 564 618 968 1,155 1,024 1,540 803 743 1,138 1,559 2,562 11,620 4,042 4.312 5,962 Loss C 1 ] 1904 7.771 922 6,849 • . • • 1905 4,319 1,791 2,528 • • • • 1906 ...... 5,178 2,881 2,297 • • • • 1907 9,948 1,903 8,045 • • • • 1908 9,544 4,796 4,748 • • • • 1909 ...... 2,432 5,004 .... 2,572 1910 2,598 5,024 • • ■ • 2,426 1911 4,285 5,859 ■ • • • 1,584 1912 5,358 5,437 ■ ■ < * 79 1913 6,771 5,647 1,124 • • • • 1914 8,462 6,300 2,162 • • • • 1915 9,029 5,967 3,062 • • • > 1916 9,100 6,922 . 2,178 . • . • 1917 9.159 6.581 2.569 .... 1 1 O 3 452 1919 11.404 8,328 3^076 • • • • 1920. 12,868 11,062 1,206 176,725 100,853 82,531 6,661 During the last half century the luunber of Japanese immigrants was upward of a quarter of a million, if we exclude sixty thousand from Hawaii and twenty thousand from Canada and Mexico, the arrivals direct from Japan being about 177,000, and the departures being about 100,000. There are about 40,000 native-born children born to Japanese parents. DISTRIBUTION ACCORDING TO STATES California alone has over two-thirds of the Japanese population in all the United States, and the other Pacific States have more than half of the remainder. California ranks first in respect to numbers of Japanese within her borders, and Washington second. The movement of aliens from the Far East was naturally across the Pacific Ocean to the ports of San Francisco and Seattle. Thence they radiated eastward into the interior of the continent, some of them finding their way to the cities on the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. The writer has made an attempt to compile a table showing the dis- tribution of Japanese in America at the present time, the data being obtained from various sources, but chiefly from the reports of Japanese consuls and lists furnished by Japanese Associations. The figures are approximate. New England States ; 300 Middle Atlantic States 3,500 South Atlantic States 200 East North Central Slates. . .• 500 V/est North Central States 1,000 West South Central States 450 Rocky Mountain States ' 12,000 Pacific States 93,000 Total 111,000 California has more than two-thirds of the Japanese now living in Con- tinental United States. My countrymen in the Golden -State number 72,000, including boys and girls born in this country to Japanese parents. f O 1 Califcrnia is the storm center of the anti-Japanese agitation, yet the Japan- ese cons i ute only a little over two per cent, of the total population of the State. In no other Sta'e is the Japanese population over one per cent, of the to al population of the State. Washington has about seventeen thousand, and Oregon about four thousand. The three Pacific States have about eighty-eight thousand Japanese. About twelve thousand Japanese are found in the Rocky Mountain commonwealths, including 1,000 in Nevada, 1,500 in Idaho, 2,500 in Utah, 1.500 in Wyoming, 3.000 in Colorado, and 2,Q00 scat ered in^ other parts of the mountain region. Alany of the Japanese in the Western States c.re farming, while a considerable number are laborers. Some run hotels and rooming houses, while others keep shops, laundries and restaurants. In the Atlantic States about 4,C00 Japanese are found, including 2,500 in New York. In the Stages east of the Mississippi there are no Japanese farmers 'o speak of, but- many are in business or studying, while some are working in families as house servants. , NATIVE-BORN CHILDREN An interesting phase of the Japanese immigration problem is that relat- ing to the children born to Japanese in this country. The U, S. census of 1910 reported 4,413 native-born Japanese in continental United States. The rapid increase in the number of Japanese children is a s'riking fact of the community life where the men and women from the Island Empire have settled. The little tots are certainly very numerous in the Japanese families in California, Washington, Idaho and other Rocky Mountain States. We do not know the exact birth rate of the Japanese in the United States ; it is changing every year. The fecundity of Japanese women is a matter of comment. The reports of the State Board of Health iji Cali- fornia give some figures relating to the Japanese birth rate, compared with that of the whites. The small number of births among Indians and Negroes in the Golden State may be disregarded. Year No. of lap. Births No. of Births of Whites Percent. 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912. 1916. 1919 1920 ^Incomplete returns, subject to correction. It is a surprising fact that the number of Japanese births increased five- fold during the ten-year period, 1911-1920. It should not be overlooked, however, that the year 1913 witnessed a marked decline in the percentage of increase of births as compared with that of 1912, and the following year the percentage of increase fell ofif " considerably ; it remained prac- 455 17,190 1.6 683 29,736 2.3 719 30.893 2.3 995 33,245 3.0 1,467 37,194 3.9 2.215 40,864 5.4 2,874 42,281 6.8 3,342 43,874 7.6 3,721 46,272 - 8.0 4,108 47,314 8.6 4,218 50,986 8.2 4,458 50,898 8.7 4,829* 59,655* 8.0* C 3 ] tically stationary the next five years, 1916-1920,. 'phis phenomenon is explained by the facts that the number of marriages among the Japanese in America has fallen off of late , years, also that many women are .not coming to this country, unlimitedly. As has been stated, almost all of the unions of Japanese men in the Republic have been made with women of their own race. It is to be remembered that some of the young folks here were born in Japan; they came to this counrty in the last ten years, During the ten years, 1911-1920, the number of Japanese births in California totaled 32,227. The births in olher States may have brought the number up to ten thousand or more. Just what the infant mortality has been, we do not know exactly— it is not large, for Japanese youngsters are, as a rule, vigorous and healthy. Nor do we know how many of the older children have died. Some of the Japanese boys and girls here have left their country with their parents, going back to Japan; In the absence of census figures, 1920, no accurate estimate of the number of native-born children in this country at present may be made. It is all of forty thousand ; probably less. ' :^0?c. VF-fn'"^ The question arises, are Japanese children born in this United States equal or superior to their parents, physically and intellectually? Do they contribute something of value to American civilization or hinder, its progress ? , . , , . , Many of the Japanese who, have come, to the ,United^ Sta|:es the ^ last score of years have found themselves ill some .ways, feetter off here than in the homeland. In the Republic they have better, opportunities^ for making money, and bet':er housing. Moreover, America has a climate that is preferable to that of Japan. Other enviroiimental factors m^ke for health and happiness and prosperity in the New World. Their . cliil- dren get the benefit of these changes,^ which make for a superior develop-' ment, physically and mentally speaking. Japanese children in public schools are regarded as bright; they get their lessons well, receiving good marks, and they are well behaved. They have inherited commendable tendencies from their fathers and mothers. The Japanese pupils are boys and girls of good character. The proportion of Christianized children is larger here, and in musical accomplishments they excell their relatives of the same age in Japan. Conclusions based upon observations extending over only a dozen years are, however, at best tentative; they are subject to revision. STATUS OF JAPANESE LABORERS BEFORE AND SINCE 190S The status of Japanese laborers in this country entered upon a new stage in 1908, when the Gentlemen's Agreement became effective. The problem should be discussed separately, dealing with the situation before and after the Agreement. Before the Gentlemen's Agreement was made, Japanese laborers were freely admitted into continental United States. The term ''laborers" here means manual workers, some of whom are above the class of menials known as "hewers of wood and drawers of water." We do not know just how many of them were laborers, but the Japanese consuls reported that there were 48,815 Japanese laborers in 1908. When they set foot upon American soil they were for the most part unskilled workers, and the wages of these Asiatic toilers were generally lower than laborers from [ 4 ] Europe received. As the years passed, the. moneiary value of Japanese laborers was re.cognized, and many of thern commanded the same wages paid to kborers who had emigrated from Europe. . Here and there in the ranks of labor was a man of more than ordinary ability ; the captains of industry discovered him and made him an. overseer or foreman, paying him more, than any of ihe Japanese wqrjkers under him received, He, had a better knowledge of the English language than they, and this was an asse': of which he ma^Ie the most nntil a; longer residence gave: his fellow laborers greater familiarity with the tqngue of the land.^ For a while the interpreter was a n?cessi y>, however. , In ^^ome instances, Japanese labor contractors took toll from, the Japanese lal30fers who were ignorant of the langnage. . , . ■ ' " In. the second, -period, (since 19Q8) very few Japanese were , admitted because of ;-e,s;;rictiQns embodied in the .Gentlemen's Agreement.' ', ' The Japanese government s rictly lived up to its agreernerit to Iceep, out labprers; seeking ; American shores for ,the first .'time,' and even students found it difficult to , get passporis- .unless t'hpy could §how. that they could get along' in this ■cp.untry \yi hout dpin^ manual' labor. ' Referring to the tnlderstanding >vith' Ja;pan, the .Coriimissioner-General of Immigration, in his report for the fi.scal year ending June 30, 1909, page 219, remarks':— ''The; experiment, has certainly, with the co-operation of the Japanese Goyernnieht, much more coftiplelely/accompHshed the exclusion of 'Jap- anese laborers,' as defined in the regulations putting the arrangement into effect, than "have the Chinese exclusion laws ever operated to prevent the immigration of 'Chinese laborers.'" The result of th^ -res'rictive ,effor'.s^ q'f the Japanese Government ' was seen in the remarkable -falling-off in the number of the arrivals of persons who could be'classed as laborers, both men (former residents) and women (wives of residents). The Japanese arrivals in continental United States for the fiscal years 1909-1920, are given : Year - Laborers Non-Laborers ,1909 675 1,757 1910.......... 589 ■ 1,909 1911. . .::.'. 726 3,556 1912. ::: ..v./.,:-'.:, . . ' • 394 4,464 1913 ■ 1,371 5,400 1914..., 1,762 6,700 1915...'.'.:/.. 2,214 6,815 1916.. 2,958 6,142 1917 2,838 6,321 1918 2,604 8,538 1919 2,278 9,126 1920 3,682 9,186 12,601 69,915 In the last dozen years the tide of Japanese arrivals reached the total of 91,562, of whom 69,915, or about three-fourths, were non-laborers. During those years 85,268 Japanese departed, leaving a net increase of 6,294. We do not know how many of the Japanese departing were laborers. In this period, especially since the Great War, the industrial mobilization of this country demanded Japanese in every field. Those who are skilled [ 5 1 workers often received higher wages than European laborers in mines and factories and for raih'oad work. It is noteworthy that in this period many Japanese laborers saved from their earnings enough money to start in business for themselves on a small scale. Some of them becanie shop- keepers, and o'hers became farmers. In 1917 there were 19,295 farm- hands and 7,157 other laborers. The last two years the number of Japanese laborers in this country has steadily decreased, and the Japanese farmers and business men here have been unable to find sufficient helpers among the men of their own race. They have had to employ Europeans or Mexicans. A score of years ago and later, it was said that Japanese laborers com- peted with white laborers. It was true to some extent before 1908, but since then the situation has materially changed. The Japanese farmers in California and in other States have to take what help they can get — Americans, Europeans or Mexicans — and they pay the going rate. The economic objections 1o the Japanese, as s'ated by Mr. McClatchy, the leader of the present anti-Japanese agination, are that the Japanese "has energy and ambition. He will work long hours. He is sober and industrious; he is generally law-abiding. He has great powers of co-op- eration. The combination of these qualities makes him an economic machine against which it is hopeless for the whi'e race to compete." On the other hand, an .American residing in Eivings'on, California, writes in praise of the Japanese farmers who did pioneer work" in that semi-desert country, reclaiming large tracts of waste land. He says: "They do not lower the standard of living ; they are ambitious to own and to live in just as good houses 'as their neighbors, to wear just as good clothes and drive just as good horses and automobiles. They pay just as high wages as oiiers in the community and employ, very largely, labor of other nationalities. I do not believe that the Japanese such as we have here drive out desirable white citizens." JAPANESE IMMIGRANTS AS AGRICULTURISTS; FARM DATA For thousands of years agriculture has been the occupation of the majority of the Japanese people. I-Iusbandry is the basis of the national prosperity. As might be expected, a large percentage of the immigrants from an agricultural nation are farmers or farm laborers. The first comers, in 1859, were farm hands, and some of the arrivals in the '70s and '80s were agriculturists la'er they became tenant farmers, and in recent years many a Japanese in this country has cultivated his own farm. Many o'her Japanese immigrants who used to work in mines or factories or for railroads have turned agriculturists, preferring to be independent rather than be industrial employees. The Chinese Exlusion Act of 1882 produced a vacuum in the ranks of labor in California, and the Japanese rushed in. Scattering groups of them found in the orchards of the Vaca Valley, the Sacramento Valley, and the Santa Clara Valley. In the late '80s the Japanese in California numbered 1,000, and most of them were engaged in agriculture. A score of years la'er — that is, in 1908 — the Japanese population in the Golden Sta^e had increased to sixty thousand. In 1910, the Japanese consul in San Francisco reported 29,849 Japanese farmers and farmhands in Cali- fornia. The following year the area cultivated by Japanese farmers in California was 239,720 acres (mostly gardens, orchards and vineyards). C 6 ] and the total value of the products — po'atoes. celery, grapes and other fruits, also vege'.ables — amounted to $12,500,000. This does not include the produce raised by Japanese in the employ of American ranchers and gardeners. The industry and skill of Japanese workers made fruit grow- ing a success, and they rendered valuable assistance in the wheat harvest. In 1915, the Japanese American Trade Year Book reported 9,000 farmers and 19,522 farmhands. In September, 1918, the Japanese farm- ing population of California was as follows: Farmers 7,973 Farmers' wives , 4,560 Farmers' boys under 16 years. 3,396 Farmers' girls under 16 years 3,114 Farmhands 15,794 Farmhands' wives 1,663 Farmhands' boys under 16 years 771 ■ Farmhands' girls under 16 years 737 Total 38,008 In September, 1918, the non-farming population of California v/as as follows : Men 18,075 Women 6,006 Boys under 16 years • 3.710 Girls under 16 years 3,180 Total 30,971 Every year the number of Japanese farmers has been increasing in California and other Wes'ern States, and the number of Japanese farm- hands is decreasing everywhere. ACREAGE OF FARMS CULTIVATED BY JAPANESE Just when the Japanese in the United S ates began to cultivate their own land, is not known. More than a c!ozen years ago there were some Japanese in California and other States who owned their own farms, whose combined area was 10,791 acres. They were distributed for the most part in Alameda, Fresno, Santa Clara, San Francisco and Los An- geles Counties. Four years later lhere were 7,338 farms in this country cultivated by Japanese agriculturists. They leased 354,007 acres and owned 46,356 acres. Since that time the area of land cultivated by con- tract laborers has decreased year by year. At the end of 1919 the Jap- anese worked nine thousand farms, with a total area estimated to be 550,000. They owne'l about 56,000 acres, the rest being leased or oper- ated by contract workers. The average size of the farms was 61 acres. INTENSIVE AGRICULTURE IN CALIFORNIA Generally speaking, the Japanese in this country, as in Japan, do not engage extensively in grain farming or grow much corn or hay. Jap- anese Association of America compiled the following figures, showing acreage of Japanese farms and orchards in California for the year 1920. Acreage Total Percent, of Value of Product — by Acreage Japanese Products by Japanese by All Tot. Acrge. Japanese [ 7 ] Berries ................. 6,100 6,700 91.0 $3 660 000 Onions 9,500 1 1',700 81.2 1 045' 000 Asparagus . . . ... . .■ . . . . . 10300 15'900 • 65.4 1 845 000 Green Vegetables. 44,500 75i400'''' 58.8 10^35 000 Oelery 3^000 5;630* 53.3 660 000 Sus^ar Beels . 5 1^300 P3 000 41.5 4 617 000 Cantaloupes . 12 .000 28.500 40.0 9 400 000 Tomatoes 7,500 * 18 860t 39.0 525 000 Nurserv and Seeds 15^200 41,600 36.5 ^ '^80 000 Rice . 37!830 162!oOO 23.3 7 ?8 000 ^^otatoes . 18,500 95,000 19. 5 3 937 500 Grapes (in 'bearing) 56^000 3^0000* 15.6' 16 800 000 Beans 40.000 98 S 000* 140 ' 480 000 Hops 1,260 1 ^ 000 10 5 ' 77^ 380 Corn 8,000 90 000 8 8 3^0 000 Fruits and Nuts ( in bearing) 47^500 735.000 5,937,500 Cotton 13,000 298,000 4.3 637,000 Hay, Grain, etc. 350,000 4,250,000 -;0^ 2,025,000 • *1918. 'fCannery. . The report of ihe Japanese Interdenominational Board of Christian Missions for 1916 contains some statistical information relating to the farming operations of Japanese in California in 1914 and thb f atrm products of this Sta'e, where the Japanese agriculturists constitu':e an important factor in the rural population. California at Large Japanese Percent. Population (es'imated, 1914) 2,757,006 63,761 2.2 Urban populati6n f 1914) 1,500.000 •26,231 L8 Rural population (1914) ...... 1,257,000 - 37,530 2.9 Farmers (numbers) 88,197 7,495 8.4 Land owners 66,632 1,093 L6 'l^enant farmers 18,148 6,402 35.2 To'.al acreage of farms 27,958,894 300,470 1.1 Average acreage for one farmer ■ 317 40 12.0 Value of farni property. ...... $1,614,694,584 $15,053,000 .9 Average value of property, one man 18,308 2,008 11.0 A'^alue of farm products. ...... $355,710,389 $33,079,160 9.0 Average products, one man. . . . 3,806 4,414 110.0 Some of the figures relating to crops were taken from the U. S. Year Book of Agriculture, 1914. The v/riter's estimates of California's urban population and rural population in 1914 may be a little but of the way. The numlDer of Japanese inhabitants of California that year is pretty accu- rately known. It is to be no'ed that the Japanese farmer's average annual production, $4,414, is 10 per cent, greater than that of the American farmer. As the Japanese farming population of California has increased since 1914, the value of crops rai.sed by Japanese farmers of the Golden Sta'.e was considerably greater in 1919 than in 1914. The total for 1918 was estimated to be $53,000,000, against $33,000,000 in 1914. The crops of berries in 1919 were perhaps the most remunerative, averaging $700 an acre. Those handling cantaloupes, grapes and other fruits realized hand- some profits. The returns for garden produce were large, from $50 to $300 an acre, and the Japanese farmers raising cereals, potatoes and sugar bee's did well. The men engaged in the growing of flowers and orna- [ 8 ] ment^il' plaii'.s. stjcceeclep'.. """^he largest acreage. was devoted to beans, and ttien in order, stigar beets,, grapes,/fruits, potatoes, cotton, greens, rice, etc," Results obtained by the Japanese Agricultural Associations of Cali- fornia show that the pombined area of farms owned by individual Jap- anese in th,at' Sta'e, 'in 19'^0, 'was ?6,988, besides -^7,78.1 acres owned by Apierican corporatioij with Japanese shareholders. The gain in tenant acreage in that period was eighty percent., the figures being 205,983 acres in 19l3 and. 373,7§7 acres in 19/0. .. Japanese agriculture is most floyrish- ing^ in the 3acranientq Y alley ; then in the San Joaquin Valley . The mo^ striking f ea'ure ^f Japanese farming, in Calif ornia .is .the ^suc- cess of thqm.ih, the redemption , and- improvement qf lands generally regarded as worthless or unprofitable,, for agriculture. By .lheir industry and efficiency they speedily proved the value of such lands, the prices advantiji^Ifapidlf} ^f?Ch^:vSl^^tf\3fi:agl^itlfel'i^^ iri^nd'^^^t-F^lorin has steadily increased during th^'pa^t' Verify ears. On an average it has more tban doubled.",. , .. . v-, ■ • ' • - v ■^"9(%^ P9i^titP bcr noted J<be fact ifi3^ ,lEarrn'ei^;,deal with American,'banks 4ri thcjr r^^pectiyp Ipca^itiqs^, : It is- the te^^imony of the tankers Jn agricuUural d^^ Jap^^nese farmers are honest and trustwprthy in. their, business dealings. - ,. : . . ■,,riv It is ^ .generahy accepted nptiQii,. that Jap3,nese farmers a^-e willing to pay high rent, but this, is,. easily explained : ^the- J.apanese are able to pay high rent on fertile land. If they find ric,h soil,, suited for .intensive agri- cultyre, they, may lease a, smaill piece of. ^Ii0und,.^a^ ■ importers; AND 'EXPORTERS There are fifty large Japanese imporler.S: and exporters in this country. They havq.head offices in San Francisco,. Portland, Seattle,. Los Angeles apd.New York Cityj and they handle the greater part of the Japanese American commerce. According to the Monthly. Summary . of " Foreign Commerce of the United -States, June, 192.L p. ;70i the foreign commerce of Japan with the United States, in the years 1919, 1920, was as follows : . . . = .;. 1919 : . . 1920 Exports .,$3 26,462,269. $543,098,063 Imports 303,993,041 527,220,867 . According to the Monthly Summary of Foreign Commerce of the United States, December, 1919, p. 7, the exports from the United States to Japan during- the calendar year 1919 amounted to $368,364,593, and the imports from Japan into the United States amounted to $409,853,- 213. The staple articles of import from Japan into the United States during the calendar year 1919 were : Raw Silk $256,113,971 Silk manufactures, fabrics. 26,012,691 Other silk goods, laces, etc 225,538 vSilk wearing apparel.. •. . 1,449,349 Cotton manufactures.. 848,154 Hats, bonnets and hoods. ............. 567,952 Earthern, stone and china ware (deco- rated or ornamented) ■ 1,827,435 Tungsten-bearing ore.... 856,017 Tea 10,219,053 Walnuts . . . .■ . 317,191 C 9 ] Some other imports may be mentioned — beans, peas, soy, fish and whale oils, colza, comestibles in glass and tin, buttons, matts, plaits for hats, etc. Japan is a large buyer of American manufactures of iron and steel, also machinery. Americans are buying Japanese goods more and more every year. We do not know how much American money is expended annually for things imported from Japan. The sight of delicate fabrics and dainty works of art exhibited in shops and show windows attracts purchasers of wares from the Far East. The taste for things Asiatic has been com- ing into vogue for a third of a century or more, not only on the Coast, but throughout the United States. The presence of the Japanese in this country and their influence, especiall}^ in art, have given a great impetus to commerce with the Orient. JAPANESE AS FISHERMEN: GROWTH OF THE FISHING INDUSTRY Since Japan is a maritime nation, her people love the sea. They are fond of sailing, swimming, diving and fishing. The Island Empire has an immense sea coast. Millions of fisher folk live on the sea shore ; their cradles are rocked in sight of raging billows, and they grow up accustomed to the view of the offing dotted with white sails. Boys and youths are not afraid to venture out upon furious waves in small boats. They grow up to be mariners ; the)^ are reared as masters of the sea ; they are invincible on the ocean. • Naturally, therefore, the Japanese who settled on the W estern coast of America became interested in fishing; they engaged in the fishing industry more extensively than did other alien settlers in California and along the shore line north as far as Alaska. In 1897 a few Japanese in Monterey, California, embarked in the fish- ing business. Up to that time fishing in California waters had been monopolized by immigrants who were for the most part Southern Europeans. Once started, the Japanese fisheries rapidly grew on the Coast. In 1910 there were 172 Japanese fishermen in the Far AVest,. and soon they had extended their activities all along the coast line from San Diego to Seattle. In 1917 their number had increased to 1,113, and they were successful. For the most part the Nipponese fishermen did not follow the primi- tive ways of some American and European anglers in these waters, who might be seen by hundreds sitting on the piers or haunting pools with fishing tackle, getting only a small catch. The Japanese did not follow the old-fashioned method of fishing; they modernized this ancient calling, for to Orientals it has been a time-honored line of mak- ing a living for thousands of years. The Japanese in the sea-coast towns of California venture out into deep waters with gasoline vessels and various kinds of nets, and they use newly invented hooks. As a result they get bigger hauls in their nets. They profit by the experi- ence they gained when fishing in Japanese waters, and they study conditions in their new environment, adapting themselves to the exigencies of the situation. Japanese fishermen are widely scattered on the California coast; they are numerous in San Diego, San Pedro^ Long Beach, Monterey, and other towns on the shore line. FISH MARKETS AND CANNERIES C io ] San Francisco and Los Angeles are the two largest fish markets in California. Japanese fishermen sell their catch to fish dealers or to canning factories at the contract price or the market price, as the case may be. The fish are shipped to wholesalers or retailers. The can- ning companies buy considerable quantities of fish to can. The South- ern California Yearbook, 1919-1920, contains some information respect- ing fish caught in the waters off San Diego and San Pedro, the figures for 1918 being as follows : Kind of Fish Tonnage Price Per Ton Total Amount Tuna 8,116 $119.00 $892,760 Albacore 6,431 125,00 803,875 Sardines 151,480 20.00 302,960 Skipjack 2,578 70.00 180,460 Yellow-tail 1,940 50.00 97,000 Miscellaneous... 100,000 Total $2,377,055 The following table shows the efficiency of the Japanese fishermen, catching the chicken of the sea — albacore — comparing other nationali- ties in the same industry, in 1920: No. of Percent- Percent- Av. lbs. Percent- Nationalitv Boats age Pounds age per boat age Japanese 168 66.0 12,033.008 89.0 71,525 32.5 American .... 29 11.6 488,186 3.9 16,834 7.5 Italian 15 6.0 277,090 2.2 18,475 8.5 Austrian 5 2.0 48.313 0.3 9.663 3.5 Russian 4 1.6 160,590 1.3 40,122 18.0 Slav 3 1.2 90.466 0.7 30,156 13.5 Norwegian ... 3 1.2 100,463 0.9 33,488 14.0 Greek 1 0.4 8.015 0.1 8,015 12.5 Others 25 10.0 .200,110 1.6 8,004 12.5 Total 253 100.0 13,406,243 • 100.0 100.0 The value of fish caught by Japanese in the wafers off Monterey foots up to a total of half a million dollars annually. Enough has been said to indicate that the fishing industry in California waters is of considerable importance. At the tim.e of the sahnon run there is more or less fishing- done off the coast of Monterey by Japanese for two or three months. There are very few canneries run by Japanese. The Japanese like to eat fresh fish, and various kinds of mollusks caught along the California coast are driel and shipped to the Far East. The Japanese in the Golden State are enterprising fishermen when they devote themselves to this line, but there are other lines of work- — farming and trading — hat attract them in much larger numbers. Those who fish may l:e called highly useful members of the community. The problem of get- ting a sufficient food supply is becoming more and more acute every year in the Coast ci ies (to say nothing of inland places), due to the increasing urban population and the crowds of tourists, many of whom do not have the oppor unity of eating fresh fish when they are at home. There is pressing need for the labor of the toilers of the deep as well as for farmers and gardeners and orchardists in California. Because of their daring and [ 11 ] efficiency, Japanese fishers have absorbed this branch of food winning in many of the ports of the Pacific Coas*-. These hardy sea-'faring men help feed the nation. Fish are palatable and nutritious. The finny tribes of the ocean will be drawn upon more and more for, the sus enauce of the people of. California and neighboring- Stages jn th^ y'^a.rs/ to come. The Japanese fisheries of tbci Golden State have a grea,t fijjiire. CHARACTERISTICS AND TACTICS OF ' AGITATORS- INCONSISTENCIES AND 'SOPHISTRIES Of la' e years the attitude , or viewpoint of i.anti-Japanese agitators has noticeably changed in son^Q. respects, and they have adopted different tac- tics. , , However, they never Jack for pretexts for continuing the agitation. Somci Qf their inconsistencies and sophistries may be noted. Time ajtd again labor leaders and politicians have been at theiir.wi^s' end for valid reasons to combat the Asiatic influence. Instead of seeking a workable agreement, which is generally possible between, persons who bave the will to he, friendly, they distort the facts ami beat about the bush. The diligence and skill of Japanese workers; are,-beypndi dispu-e ; their usefulness to the communi y cannot be. denied. The Pacific.; Coast agi- tators no longer claim that they are ruined by Japanese cheap labor; they murmur bepause ,of high wages.., ''They send their savings to Japan"' — that was the. cry once .heard. -.Nowithe exclpsionists object because, the Japanese show a, disposition to.-settle down and invest . their money here in land, as other immigrants are. encouraged to do. We do not hear so much about the illiteracy of the Japanese in this country. They made a better showing, intellectually speaking, than a considerable number of the American-born recruits, and those hailing from Europe and Mexico. Nebraska ranks high in literacy, and yet it is said that 25 per cent, of the soldiers coming .into one cantonment of the Antelope State in 1918 were unable to read a newspaper or pen; a letter home.; Secretary of the Interior Lane remarked: "Nearly 700.000 men of draft age (21 to 31) in the United States cannot read or write in English or any other language." The anti-Oriental propagandists are displeased because Japanese children love to go J o school and are studious, while the advanced students improve their educational opportunities to good advantage. The speakers and writers in the service of the Exclusion League are silent now about the commercial morality of the Japanese, but they eloquently declaim against Japanese traders because their credit is good and they realize handsome profits out of their business. Those who are carrying on the anti- Jap- anese campaign object to Nipponese farmers because they reclaim waste lands and beat their neighbors in raising binnper crops of rice and vege- tables. The real heart of the race problem is that the Japanese beat the Americans in their own games. So they look with jealous eyes upon the enterprising and industrious competitor from far-off Japan. This is the reason "the Oriental question is looming up larger on the economic horizon." JAPAN AS A COMPETITOR Seventy years ago, when secluded Yamato was admitted into the sister- hood of na'ions, it seemed a helpless infant. America graciously came to the rescue wi'.h pity, acting like a foster mother to the inexperienced youngster. The Republic overseas was a friend who was glad to see [ 12 ] •lan £'.r;^y r . d a.'mjring'Jy \\^atcbed the m^ryelovis developmen.ts of the . e 1 e^ni^t .na^^^^ Northern Bear i .the. stnigsie i'^df^-J'^'QS pe^eale(i,to the world the elemerital c reatress of ;t1ie TH.^-; r^Empire/" .Americans had to admit the courage and prowess of , the .Jap.aiiese. Froni- that time on Westerners were quick discer i.^'^ip^c^nfi-f^ a^^ji4l-re&ts..; : |apariese expansion brought new prob- lems, and Dai Nippon was regarded as a formidable competitor. America a longer looked uro e,r with the old-time maternal affection. These fscts mu?t be .taken into ,considera'ion by one who would account for the '-' ange i T national psychology.. -•;,; .! . From 'hat time pn a> differenpe in the A,meriGan attitude and demeanor was obseryfihle, Japa-escidevelopme r may be regarded as the barometer '^f the anti- Japanese moveiT>ent since 19Q5. ■ As soon as Japan appeared as a competi or of he ; United States . in, the. world's- markets, plenty of .Americans ha-^ eyes ■ o see the shortcQniings ,pf the. Japanese, people in this country, and the anti Japanese, campaign iin. California was in full swing. Labor leaders •rervli-'e'i "d-e. economic need for the exclusion of the Japr anese. r _ If the ra-gitatop$);Qn; therCoast are .becoming more desperate, it is a sure sign of Japan's increased impor'ance, not only- in world politics, but i'^the commercial, a ^^d industrdahwoirld.-^,. We sincerely hope that Ameri- ca'is are really soortihjffi-like iti their dOhipfe^tion and will forget the tac- tics of intrigue. ,;|'VVfa^f^h^^;ai;^ .^ifiks ;tJt^at.,ar^:yain''. sooner ■T J-terge .;men, jn'£)^rQU^le,;^;l i^r^^;iUi iKV^'^J^ft -r tiPix <''■ ' ': _ . ^4 Japanese'and Americans are to compete, let^them ^not strire Unfairly. There is roorii hi this grea';^tbihh>ry •for all^^irientals who haVe Settled hdf.e: ' ■ e firmly • believe ^'"'^M^'j^s^^^Ul^f^^^^^ States are. not com- petitors, of, '.he :;white:si: %h&A irJj^UF/l^bct J-l^Wtiare-^ca-operators rather. Modern: ii-du^try ^depeftir;sjupMpp :!h9,:r^^^ j:-'?fing endeayors of. a va:st num- ber-of mai's,\yhq5^, .''jQihc9p,,(^p^r^^^^ aiii end": :ijiakes,the fabric of present, day civilization. ' .,. . ■ , Japanese activities are not in • conflict with the efforts of American laborers. The aliens in. .the land . and the natives all have a work to do. The Orien-^al farmers and wage earners supplement, not supplant, the other workers of the nation. With t^yice as many Japanese agricultrists and fruit gatherers there would be no danger of overproduction; there would be no danger of a glut in the market, but foodstuffs would be more plentiful and cheaper. , With twice as many Japanese fishermen as there are now, the harvest of the deep would be much greater. These hard- working food producers render valuable services' to their adopted country. They are not a hindrance to the progress of America. They are an asset, not a menace. ^ JINGOES AND THEIR MOTIVES In addition to labor agitators and scheming demagogues, there are jingoes who are partly responsible for the strained relations of Japa- nese and Americans. There is the class of bellicose fellows who fan the passions of men and try to manufacture war scares. It is to the interest of munition makers and the builders of battleships to insist upon the necessity of "preparedness." There are those who want to establish a military aristocracy in the Republic. A sort of militaristic craze, fostered by newspapers evidently paid for it, seized the American - people in 1917. For years, editors and interested officials had been C 13 ] stirring up trouble and sowing the seeds of war. Some men occupying high position made speeches that endangered the nation's peace. They advocated a mighty navy and a big standing army. They denounced pacifists and appHed opprobrious ephithets, "slackers'" and "traitors," to those opposed to the transplanting of Prussianism to this country, the military machine that tramples upon the rights of the people. They wanted war because it affords a multitude of opportunities for making money. So great was their eagerness for participation in the fray that they violated the traditions of liberty (so dear to Anglo-Saxons) by ])assing the draft act. Every little while these alarmists have lashed themselves into rhetorical fury over the alleged peril of war with Japan. These propagandists have asserted that Japan is possessed by the lust of conquest. She has territorial ambitions in Eastern Asia, the I'hilippines, Hawaii, Mexico, and even in California. The absurdity of this fear has been exposed time and again. "There is not the remot- est probability that Japan will ever attempt to make war upon the United States," says the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle (Janu- ary 3, 1921). Another editorial in this paper ridicules the hullabaloo of American civilian jingoes. "Why on earth 105,000,000 people spread over a continental area not half developed and by far the richest nation in the world should be afaid of a distant nation like Japan, the bulk of whose people are cooped up on small islands which can hardly support them, is one of the things which passcth understand- ing. And yet it is the fear of Japan, or alleged fear, which makes our Army and Navy authorities insist on increasing our armament. * * * \Ye may be per- fectly sure that the masses of the Japanese hate sudden death and unendurable taxa- tion just as strenuously as we do. Japan is no menace to us, and the alleged dan- ger of attack by that country is a monumental humbug." Even Senator Phelan, astute politician that he is, takes no stock in the seers who talk of armed conflict between the United Sta*:es and Japan. The spread of Christianity makes for the dominance of principle, and com- mercial interests make for conciliation. It is a well known fact that the Teutons, just before the outbreak of liostilities in 1914, tried in every way to cause an estrangement between Japan and the United States. Had- they succeeded in this attempt, it would have aided Germany materially. This propaganda of Germans and pro-Germans was most subtle and far-reaching. Responsible officials of rhis country and Japan repeatedly denied their claims in unmistakable language. We have no ground to suppose that there was any tension in the afifairs of the two nations. Their traditional friendship was preserved throughout the war. But the Hun spirit lives on, and rabid militarism still panders to popular prejudice. An Associated Press Dispatch from Tokyo, commenting on President Harding's Inaugural, puts the case fairly when it interprets "the undoubted desire of the masses of the Japanese people," saying that they "are ready, willing and eager to enter any path leading to peace and understanding." RACIAL ELEMENTS IN ANTI-JAPANISM Anglo-Saxon Americans have always been in the forefront among the leaders of public opinion in the United States. They think for them- selves. They cherish the ideals of the founders of the Republic and its great men of later times. They are men of convictions. They keep up their spiritual strength by prayer, by singing hymns, by reading the Bible, religious books and the poets. There is a strong ethical note in English r 1 -1 and American li era:ure. Americans thus nourished take as their motto: ''Principles, not men." They realize that liherty is responsibility, and lhey have faith in the triumph of justice. They are one-hundred per cent. Americans, and they want to preserve the heritage of their fathers unimpaired. They object to the influx of Europe's refuse the lower- grade immigrants, who are ignorant of the true meaning of American liberty. It is said that aliens are.ihe chief vio'a'.ors of dry laws. They are 'ticklers for personal liberty in drinking. There is need for the education of the people of Europe and o'her lands who have sought a new home in the Uni ed S ates and are unwilling to abide by the laws of their adopted country. This is the American issue. The man whose forefathers hailed from England and Scotland in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries are not opposed to any particular race, but to those undesirable immigrants who tenaciously cling to age-old customs that do not make for civilization. New Englanders and other Easterners do not want hordes of foreigners to pour into this country faster than they can be assimilated, — that is, get the American viewpoint and be exemplars of American idealism. The descendants of the Puritans are for the enforcement of law and the education of public sentiment favorable to progress. They do not want aliens who do that which is out of harmony with the policy of the government. How to restrict the grow- ing evil of alienism that would subvert America's most cherished insti- tutions — that is the ques'ion. It is a real danger. Hence the emphasis placed upon Americanization, which is only another name for assimiliation. The Irish have a closer connection with anti-Japanese movements. The sons of Ireland are fond of politicianing. They are particularly success- ful in municipal politics. Plibernians and men of Plibernian extraction know how to play cards when running for office. They are shrewd wire- pullers. They know how to cater to the labor unions. They control numerous journals. 'J'hey have inspired the real animus of many an editorial, and the clever cartoonist is drafted into the service of the cause they have at heart. So they are influential, although not very trustworthy investigators. The Anglo-Japanese alliance could not have appealed to those Irishmen, who have many things to complain of in the British regime, especially the British government in Ireland. In a multitude of ways the Irish made their power felt in labor circles. They are fighters, agitators. The Japanese who crosses their path has to catch it. There are many Germans wdio do not entertain friendly feelings toward Japanese laborers. Particularly after the opening of hostilities in the Great War the Teutons availed themselves of every opportunity to under- mine Japanese influence for the benefit of Germany. German diplomats were thoroughly famihar with the outstanding issues of national and world politics. They were after commercial concessions everywhere. They understood the situation in California, and they had at their fingers' ends results obtained by Oriental research of the most pa;instaking kind, and yet they were at times addicted to ambiguity of statement and misrepre- sentation. They were good at whitewashing the deeds of their country- men. As to Scandinavians, Jews, Austrian-PIungarians, Italians, Greeks and vSlavs, they do not show any marked likes or dislikes for the Japanese. Negroes and Mexicans seem to have some sympathetic feelings for Jap- anese, because they have suffered similar indignities. The blacks and the greasers submit in silence to many humiliating, experiences. They do not initiate any constructive movements; they are not to be found in the ranks of anti-Japanese agitators. ■ Regardless of race or color, if anyone can apprecia e the points at issue in the Japanese question and intelligently discuss them, we ought to wel- come him. He renders a service to both Japan and America, especially if he be frank and outspoken and. have the li'erary spiri"^, as do Dr. H. B. Johnson and Prof. H. A. Millis, to say nothing of other Americans who now and then say a word in praise of Japanese and the Japanese in this country. : Unbiased and impar'ial observer^ are scarce^ They see the need for concerted action; they are aiders of those who oppose unjust treatment of the stranger within their gates. They are the friends of conciliation. , ; PUBLIC OPINION The United States is a democratic country. It; is ruled by public opin- ion. ...But public opinion is not necessarily; always right. Aristotle long ago remarked that the majority are of' en led as' ray by men who are past masters in the art of misleading, their audiences. Public ques^-ions of vast moment are not always settled according t6 the weight of argument. Stump speakers in .presiden' ial campaigns of "en fool the crowd with "glo- rious lies."; :A mass of ■ misinformation [iS; unloaded upon 'the .populace by sQap-boX' orators. The: politicians and journalists of our time have a definite object -in view, and set out to manufacture public sentiment favor- able to it. ! By ceaseless repetiUons, wi' h but slight changes in the wording of their ideas, they make an impression on^ people who do^ not take the trouble to investigate for themselves;: It has been said that , "mere repeti- tion of an assertion is. boundto convince many that the assertion is; true." So a misleading propaganda may hoodwink , many for: a long while. It takes time for the common run of people to.detect fallacies in the reasoning of unprincipled agitators. Community psychology is, exceedingly variable. The editor with his finger on the public pulse does not always weigh his words carefully. The average reader who has a mind of his own dis- counts much that he sees in metropolitan newspapers. A great deal of nonsense about the Japanese question has been inflicted upon the Ameri- can public by agitators and their tools. The expression, "a subsidized press," is not a mere figure of speech. CONCLUSION The case against Japanese immigrants is for the most part made up of baseless fabrications and flimsy accusations. The charges will not stand searching scrutiny, but out of the mass of incoherent data hastily thrown together by anti-Japanese agitators one may cull out some points that challenge attention though not convincing to the impartial investigator. The true Americanism can be realized neither by racial pride nor by racial prejudice. It is to be realized only by a thorough study of social conditions, including public health, also by inculcating the American prin- ciples of justice and tolerance. Thus the United States will contribute to the highest achievement of human civilization as well as realize the utmost progress within its boundaries. . C 16 ]