SEES DANGERS IN JAP CORPORATION

Darwin Tells Orientals That Business Organization for Fishing Will Be in Contravention of State Laws.

Facing practical exclusion from the fishing industry of Washington through stringent enforcement of the law forbidding aliens from engaging in that industry in this state, Japanese fishermen are making an attempt to gain a foothold in the fishing business by organizing a Japanese corporation to engage in that business. During the past week Japanese have requested State Fish Commissioner L.H. Darwin to make known his attitude on the issuing of a fishing license to a Japanese corporation employing Japanese in the fishing industry.

Commissioner Darwin replied that the law forbidding the employment of Japanese in the business of catching fish in Washington waters would be strictly enforced. He also informed the Japanese that under no circumstances would he issue a fishing license to a Japanese corporation unless informed by the supreme court of the state that the law required that he issue such license.

In past years, according to Darwin, Japanese have attempted to gain a foothold in the fishing industry but the laws against alien fishermen have prevented the accomplishment of this purpose. But for the enforcement of this law, Darwin believes, the Japanese would now be in practical control of fishing operations in this state.

An attempt by evasion of the provisions of the law to drive an entering wedge preliminary to still more extensive encroachments on the fishing industry is the construction which Darwin places upon the request made by the Japanese. Considering the intrusion of aliens into the fishing industry as a menace, Commissioner Darwin is determined not to yield in the enforcement of the law against alien fishermen.

Along the Fraser River, in British Columbia, Japanese have established themselves in practical control of the fishing industry and have so aroused white and Indian fishermen that a protest against this condition has been sent to the British Columbian Parliament. Any tendencies toward this condition in Washington will be frowned upon by the state fisheries department, according to Darwin, and every effort made to discourage alien activity in the fishing industry of this state.