Chinese Versus
p. 48 · Read in the full issue
Japanese.
“War” In Tahiti.
From Our Own Correspondent.
Papeete, Nov. 4.
THE hatred between Chinese and Jap anese, engendered by the Manchurian conflict, sometimes finds an outlet, even in far-away Tahiti, and with amusing results.
Tahiti has many Chinese but very few Japanese, and the latter get a hard time of it.
The other day, when the Compagnie Navale de l’Oceanie finally closed its doors and sold off some remain ing goods and chattels under the ham mer, the cutter “Gisborne” was bought in for a song by a local Japanese con tractor, who had her repaired and then sold her again to a Chinaman, at a very handsome profit. The new owner promptly put up a shingle to the effect that the vessel was available to carry freight to the Leeward Group, where, unfortunately for him, nearly all the business is done by Chinamen.
It was very soon discovered that he had bought the vessel from one of the hated Japanese, and not an ounce of freight could he get till he had liquidated a heavy fine imposed upon him by his compatriots.
Similarly, a small native-owned cutter, plying between Tahiti and Moorea, was effectively boycotted because she carried a Japanese mechanic.