Canada's Japs

Problems of Settlements in Pacific Region

AT the time of Pearl Harbour there were 23,149 Japanese in Canada —over 22 thousand of them in British Colombia. Shortly after the outbreak of the Pacific war it was thought advisable to remove them from the Pacific seaboard, and they were there fore scattered throughout the prairie States.

About the same time 109,000 Japs were removed from California. There were two reasons for this: first, it was feared that if the Japanese attempted landings on the Pacific coast, Cali fornia’s Japs would constitute a ready-made fifth column; and, second, in the event of mob violence from American citizens, it protected the Jap colonists. It was reported that public hysteria on the Pacific coast during January and February, 1942, was running high, fanned by rumours that Jap citizens of Hawaii had rammed planes at Pearl Harbour and blocked roadways.

Most of the Japs in both the Canadian and American Pacific States were market gardeners and domestic servants; a high percentage of them were second and third generation citizens of those countries.

So far, the United States has an

nounced no policy as to their treat ment in the post-war period; but in August, Mr. MacKenzie King (Prime Minister of Canada) announced that in future absolutely no more Japanese migrants will be permitted to settle in Canada, and that a special com mission to deal with those already in the Dominion had been set up. This will weed the loyal from the disloyal Japs and, where proved disloyal, whether citizens of Canada or not, they will be deported to Japan.

Loyal Japs will be treated justly and, presumably, be permitted to remain in the country.

Such concentrations as were for

merly permitted in the Pacific States will not be allowed again. Those already in the country will have to disperse to all States of the Dominion and not settle en bloc in any particular

region.

Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Martin returned to Fiji in October from a holiday trip to New Zealand.

Lieut.-Colonel J. B. K. Taylor, who received head wounds last year in Bougainville, while leading a Fijian battalion, returned to Fiji in October with his health much improved. He has been recuperating in New Zealand.