THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1909. THE ASIATIC QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3111, 9 February 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1909. THE ASIATIC QUESTION.

The recent revival of the Asiatic question in Canada is certainly an ominous symptom, and the sharp conflict of opinion between the British Columbian Legislature and the Ottawa Government very closely parallels the situation in the United State 3, the Washington Go-

vermeiit ia bruscju oppose by the Californian in this sane matter. caseg the supreme Gov is domiciled on the eas s y e 0 j 2sj or th Ameru'an continent, the side, that is to s uy., which is not exposed to the

danger of an 'Asiatic flood. And in both case's the local Legislatures domiciled on the western coast are

prepared to go to' almost any lengths in order to keep out the coloured alien. President Rojsevelt and Sir Wilfrid Laurier have both aimed at controlling Japanese immigration by means of a direct under-* standing with the Japanese Government, but neither the Californians nor the British Columbians regard this method as effective. The situation is admittedly a most difficult one, and there seems to be no reasonable expectation that it will grow less difficult as time goes on. British Columbia, with a total population of only 250,000 persons, contained 29,000 Indians, 15,000 Chinese, and 5,000 Japanese when the latest estimate wa3 made some two years ago. The proportion of Chinese and Japanese has probably increased considerably since then, if the severe riots which took place in September, 1907, in Vancouver can be regarded as originating in resentment at added pressure from the Asiatics. The absolute exclusion of Japanese immigrants would be such an affront to the Tokio Government that neither the United States Government nor the Ottawa Government has found it possible to contemplate that {solution of the difficulty. And though the Japanese Government has taken control of its subjects by means of a passoort system, the white inhabitants of British Columbia and the Pacific Slope are so firmly convinced of the ability of the Asiatic to evade all merely legal restrictions that they continue to press insistently for direct exclusion. With a white Canada, a white Australia, and a white South Africa (except in so far as the Kaffirs are concerned) to protect in the future from irritated . Asiatics, the Imperial Government will have a large order on hand. All the more need, therefore, that those who add such a heavy load to the burdens of the "weary Titan" 1 should at least stretch out a hand to help him to carry it. Nothing can , keep the self-governing depend.neies ' of the Empire white for any length of time except f .he British fleet. And the white men at the periphery of the Empire should, in common justice, help the other white men at the - Empire's centre to bear the tieavy co3t of that which, in the last resort, must protect them all.