The Times of Wednesday contained an article from its Special
correspondent in San Francisco which places the Japanese question there in a very serious light. The average Californian, it appears, believes that war will break out between the United States and Japan within five years, and possibly within a few months. Japan, he thinks, desires the Philippines and Hawaii, and is only waiting for her financial position to improve before she strikes. There are only fifty thousand Japanese in California, but they are industrious and capable, and many have attained to wealth and good position. The fact that they are beating the American population by improved business methods accounts for part of the hostility, andlhe scare about Japan's warlike intentions explains the rest. The question of the schools is a very minor grievance, and was seized on only as a good cry with which to open the campaign. If California wins in the Courts on this matter, as she may easily do, a new Treaty with Japan will be necessary; and if meantime the State has gone further, and organised anything like a general boycott or "Jim Crow" cars, the whole question will become very serious. It is easy to raise the spectre of race hatred, but hard to exorcise it; and such hatred is never so deadly as when it is accompanied by fear and an unwilling respect.
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