Page:Disapproving Anti-Japanese Agitation.djvu/8

 312 people out of the 8,500 are Japanese, and because they farm 1,697 acres out of 30,000?

Mr. H. A. Millis, Professor of Economics in the University of .Chicago, in his book entitled, "The Japanese Problem in the United States," published in 1915, says of the Japanese in Oregon: "In general there is a spirit of toleration and in some instances there is a visiting back and forth between Japanese and Americans. At Hood River was found as favorable an opinion as was met with anywhere. Occasionally, it is said, some one complains of Japanese land purchases, but it is not taken seriously. The Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, coming from California in 1910, commended them highly and ranked them above the Greeks and Italians in point of desirability."

I visited Hood River a few weeks ago myself and saw many of the leading citizens of that place, who assured me that there was no cause of complaint of the Japanese, who were peaceful, orderly and industrious people, living in harmony with their fellow ranchmen, belonging to and marketing their products through the Association. One man said to me, "They generally prefer raw land on account of its being cheaper and turn it into productive farms, which are often for sale, and I deem them a distinct advantage to the community." Having this remark in mind and considering how much of this anti-Japanese agitation is of political origin, I could not but recall the well-worn aphorism that "he who makes two ears of corn or two blades of grass to grow where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind than the whole race of politicians put together." And it did seem to me, in the light of what this man told me about their taking non-producing land and making it productive, that they are the very benefactors that Dean Swift might have had in mind—making two ears of corn grow where none grew before.

And I submit that, especially in these days of food scarcity when many millions of people are facing starvation, it would be a crime to prevent the Japanese or any other nation or tribe from augmenting the supply of that commodity of which the world stands in such dire need. I say "especially at this time," but I ask if we are justified in doing at any time and under any circumstances that which this country is doing now, namely, curtailing