Speech #600038384

Prior to the discovery of gold in California. following a policy of exclusiveness centuries old. the people of China. Japan. and Korea had hardly set foot upon our shores. Within four years after 1849 10.000 Chinese alone had landed in the United States. and by 1882. when the first definite act was passed restricting the immigration of Chinese laborers into our country. more than 100.000 Chinese and Japanese had found their way hither. At that time Congress listened to the voice of the West. and an act was passed suspending the immigration of Chinese laborers into the United States. We have followed the policy of excluding Chinese laborers ever since. Notwithstandi*ng the vigilance that we have exercised. and In view of liberal immigration laws as relate to Japan and Korea. there are today something like 300.000 people from China. Japan. and Korea in our midst. and if ready immigration were possible this number would multiply itself many times within the next few years. The tendency of the last quarter of a century warrants me in making this assertion. Going back no further than 1893 and following the immigration of Japanese into our country up to the present. the figures from the report of the Commissioner of Immigration of the United States are very striking : Japanese immigrants. 1893 --------------------------------------------------- 1. 380 1894 --------------------------------------------------- 1.031 1895 ---------------------------------------------------- 1. 150 1896 ---------------------------------------------------- 1. 110 1897 ---------------------------------------------------- 1. 526 1898 -----------------------------------------------2. 230 1899 -------------------------------------------------- 2. 844 1900 ----------------------------------------------- 12. 635 1901 ----------------------------------------------- 5 269 1902 --------------------------------------------------- 14 270 1903 --------------------------------------------------- 19 968 1904 --------------------------------------------------- 14:264 1905 ---------------------------------------------- 10. 331 1906 ---------------------------------------------- 13. 835 1907 --------------------------------------------------- 30. 226 The most casual examination of these figures warrants the belief that the tendency is firmly established. and I believe that only by legislation on our part can further immigration be withstood. Remarkable as are the figures bearing upon the immigration of Japanese to our country. I do not think that they represent the true increase. Thousands of Japanese have doubtless come to our country of whose entrance no record has been made. They have come from Canada and Mexico. It has been estimated that the number of Japanese who have entered in this manner for many years equals the number who were admitted through the customhouse. Upon this question the CommissionerGeneral of Immigration of the United States says in his report for the fiscal year ending June 80. 1907: Japanese laborers In large numbers are. and have been for months. flocking to both Canada and Mexico. That In the vast majority of cases their intention (usually formed. It is believed. before embarking for the voyage over) Is to enter the United States the Bureau is convinced. In other words. these laborers merely use foreign contiguous territory as a place of temporary sojourn while perfecting plans for proceeding to points in this country. Reports received from immigration officials located in Canada and along the Mexican border show beyond question that such is the case. I find also In the report that Inspector Braun made to the Immigration Department under date of February 12. 1907. this remarkable statement in confirmation of the remarks which I have just made: I have stated before that to secure reliable data as to the number of Immigrants coming Into Mexico is very difficult. if It be not an impossibility. but I have been assured that during the last year and a alf 8.000 Japanese and 5.000 Chinese have entered the Mexican Republic. Today. however. there are not 2.000 Japanese and not 15.000 Chinese in all Mexico. although. according to a conservative estimate. more than 45.000 Chinese have come to Mexico. and few ever return from there. The MexicanChineseJapanese transportation companiessteamers from all the Mexican ports--have not taken them home to the Orient.