Milford High School - Oak Lily and Ivy Yearbook (Milford, MA)

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THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. 19 late, for because of the great numbers already here the new-comers naturally flock to them and small colonies are the result. This difficulty, however, is not so great, for we have to-day greater means to help and aid the foreigner and to instil in him our ideals and ways of living. A greater factor in the increase of immigration was the World War. We, the most fortunate of the belligerents, offered to the homeless and destitute families of Europe new homes where with renewed hope they might prosper. It is not strange that they should flock to our shores, for we as an independent nation could give to them the best promise of living conditions and advancement. Here one man could find the same chances as another, providing, of course, he had the same ability and integrity to raise himself. Although many have not found fortunes awaiting them here, according to the foreigners’ conception of America, they have for the most part found contentment and happiness. In so great an influx there is always danger of taking in undesirables who would harm rather than better the country. Accordingly restrictions were made. By the Acts of 1882 and 1893 criminals, paupers , persons diseased in mind or body, and persons unable to support themselves were forbidden entrance to the country. The immigration laws have become more severe until now it provides that two per cent of those from any country who were here in 1890 are to be ad¬ mitted, although Japanese and Chinese, and even Japanese even from Hawaii are excluded. According to the Loose Leaf Current Topics there are three peace-time causes of war, namely: economic, which have to do with our livings and our profit mak¬ ing; second, psychological, which have to do with our feelings and thinkings and third, political, which have to do with our governing. If we were to have war with Japan over our present immigration law, it would come under the first two causes, economic and psychological. President Coolidge says, “One of the greatest dangers to peace lies in economic pressure.” Japan must send its excessive population somewhere. Only one other important, country besides our own is in a condition to receive immigrants. This is the continent of Australia which is in the first stages of development and would naturally attract immigrants. Yet it has closed its doors to them. Besides this Japan has a high birth rate, so that its already large population is not decreasing but increasing. These people must go somewhere and what is not strange, they look toward us for relief from their difficulties, because we are nearer than other countries and besides offering bet¬ ter living conditions, we have always been a friend to the Japanese Empire. The frequent earthquake disasters have not bettered the economic life of Japan. Other countries under such difficulties can be relieved by immigration to other nations. Japan is deprived of this privilege. Their prosperity is hampered. These con¬ ditions in a country do not for long maintain peace. Then there is the psychological cause of war. Our present immigration law certainly does not strengthen our friendship with Japan. The aim of every country, no matter how great or how small, should be to further the civilization of the world. We need to aid and help the Asiatic nations, and if we look on them as not having the high degree of civilization that we have reached, it is our duty to help them gain that degree of enlightenment and advancement. It was we who gave to the world its first successful democracy, which has not only en¬ dured and prospered but has been mirrored in so many of the republics of to-day. ■ Therefore it is only natural that these countries should look toward us and that Japan as a growing nation should do the same. But when such a law is passed we inevitably lose some of their good will and dependence on us. Another reason

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18 THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. predicts a rain storm, a drouth, a slump in business, a terrible war or some other calamity. In fact, he often predicts them all at once. Such a person is instinct¬ ively avoided and disliked, for who cares for the companionship or the society of a confirmed pessimist? No one but another pessimist, perhaps. Misery loves company, and they share each other’s views and then attempt to outshine each other with unhappy predictions. It is not at all remarkable that they are left entirely to themselves on every occasion. Now let us analyze Mr. B’s views on life. Everything is for the better. Misfortune and hardships are borne with a smile. His cheerfulness and hope¬ fulness brighten any corner where he might be. He is welcomed by society and blessed with a host of honest friends. A person in sorrow, a ruined business man or one who is ill, experiences a new spark of hope after an interview with an un¬ assuming and unaffected optimist. Such a person gifted with true optimism lives a much happier and more useful life than a miserable pessimist. It is difficult to tell which of the two classes is more numerous, but if there were more true optimists, the world would improve twice as quickly as it is now doing. A true optimist firmly believes that if anything be so, it is God’s will. He alone knows what is best and all His people can do is to submit to His divine will. Agnes Siipola, 1925. PATRICK PEACE ESSAYS. The following essays are tivo selected from those submitted by students of the Milford High School in competition for prizes offered by the late Delano Patrick of Hopedale. The subject of this year ' s essay was : WILL EXCLUSION LEAD TO WAR—A DISCUSSION OF THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION. WILL EXCLUSION LEAD TO WAR? Any public question that carries with it the possibility of causing war is a serious one. It is only during the last few years that immigration has proved to be a question of this sort and to be a problem that has taxed the wisdom and tact of our government. We did not always have as we have to-day our great industries and immense population of over one hundred million. At one time we had the great West to populate and build up. This could be done only by immigrants and we readily and willingly welcomed all who might wish to come and by liberal legislation made it easy for those who did come. The Irish, forced to abandon their homes because of the potato famine of 1846, were among the first comers, as were the Germans. It is to these immigrants that we owe much of our prosperity and bright future, for without them we ourselves could not have attempted to open up with such rapidity the huge western lands. Of late years the Italians, Hun¬ garians, Czechs, Russians, and Scandinavians have been the most num¬ erous and can be found in our factories and mines, in fact in most all kinds of the manual labor of the country. Of late years they have been harder to assimi-

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20 THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. why Japan should be grateful and should expect at least the same privileges as other nations is that it was an American, Commodore Perry, who by his visit to Japan in 1853 opened that country’s eyes to the vast possibilities of the future which would see her as one of the world powers, which position it holds to-day. From that day we have always befriended Japan. Our present immigration law, however, does not add to that friendliness; rather it does the reverse and no nation can afford to be unfriendly toward another nation. It hinders satisfactory solution of any international problems that may arise and builds up a wall of antagonism between us which prevents understandings in mutual interests. Then there is racial feeling. By such a law we might seem to look down on the yellow race. Such, however, is not the case. The United States gov¬ ernment is incapable of any such an unchristian act. Yet we ourselves should not be pleased to know that we were not wanted in Japan, or any country. Mr. Matsudaira, the new Japanese Ambassador to the United States, a very able statesman, says: “Japan’s objection to statutory exclusion has been a matter of principle. She has looked upon it from the standpoint of international amity and neighborliness and not merely from the standpoint of material loss or in¬ inconvenience. I understand that much hardship and inconvenience were ex¬ perienced by my countrymen immediately after the new law went into effect. I hope and trust that this hardship will be gradually mitigated by the judicious interpretation of the law and the considerate attitude of the authorities. I realize the difficulty of covering by a si ngle law all the complicated and intricate cases arising out of the movement of peoples from one country to another. Much, I presume, depends upon the discretion of the authorities concerned.” It is certain that immigration laws are necessary both for our own safety, in protecting the future of the nation and for the convenience of the immigrant himself. But in my opinion we do not need entirely to exclude the Japanese. They as one of the nations of the world should enjoy the privileges of the rest of the countries. The immigration problem, however, is relatively a new one in this country. Only the future can tell what conditions will arise from it and what new meas¬ ures will be enacted regarding it. Japan is comparatively a new country, but one that is rapidly advancing and one that may be considered as a world power. It needs the help of other nations to bring it up to their standards. Because of our friendliness toward that country it would therefore look to us for aid and we as a sister nation should respond, but now since the immigration law has passed, this is impeded both by uncertainty and some indignation on their side. That there is feeling can be shown by the letter received by the late Secretary of State Hughes from Mr. Hara Hara pre¬ vious to the passage of the law. It may not be as great now, but the feeling exists and will continue to exist. And it is a feeling that could bring about war. We do not want war with Japan, nor does Japan want war with us or any nation. Nevertheless all will agree that our present relations with Japan are somewhat strained, or, if not strained, they do not measure up to the standard of our friendliness with other nations. Some of this condition can be attributed to our immigration law. No country, I can safely say, relishes the idea of another war and it is the duty of every country to do its utmost to crush such an idea if any exists. The horrors of the late World War have satisfied all such inclina¬ tions in that direction. Furthermore no nation is in a condition for war for each one is undergoing its own period of reconstruction. War itself is the great¬ est menace to civilization, for it is during war times that the progress a nation might gain during peace is completely annihilated.