JAPANESE IS MENACE COAST IS ASSERTED

Witness Before Committee Declares Nippon Violates Gentlemen's Agreement.

By Associated Press.

WASHINGTON, Friday, Sept. 26. -- Japan was charged with "flagrant violations" of the commonly termed gentlemen's agreement with this country, by V.S. McClatchy of Sacramento, Cal., yesterday before the House immigration committee.

Testifying in connection with the committee's consideration of the bill which would permit a certain percentage of the nationals of a country to enter the United States each year, Mr. McClatchy said that Japanese control of many industries in Washington, Oregon, California and Colorado was being enlarged through violations of the agreement, which forbids the entry of Japanese laborers, both skilled and unskilled, into the United States.

The witness urged exclusion of the Japanese, asserting their admission is creating an economic menace of the entire country.

Under Japanese Control.

In California, McClatchy said, the Japanese produce 90 per cent of the strawberry and cantaloupe crops; 80 per cent of the onions, asparagus, tomatoes, celery, lettuce and cut flowers; 20 per cent of the beans and 10 per cent of the grapes, fruit and rice. He cited Japanese authorities to support his statement and added that the tuna a sardine fisheries in the southern part of the state were falling into their control.

In Oregon, McClatchy said, half of the Hood River Valley apple crop is Japanese controlled, while in Colorado, the Rocky Ford melon crop is 85 per cent Japanese controlled. In Seattle, it was related, hotels, groceries, truck gardening and miscellaneous small businesses are fast coming under Japanese domination.

Since 1900 the Japanese population of this country and increased six fold. McClatchy asserted, while the Chinese, under the exclusion act, have decreased from one-half to two-thirds in number.

Phelan Agrees with Witness.

Senator Phelan of California, attending the hearing as a spectator, told the committee that he had assurances from the State Department that it was investigating the "picture bride" and her legal status.

The California senator joined with the witness in asserting that an acute problem had been provoked along the Pacific Coast, but said his information from the State Department was that it regarded the gentlemen's agreement to be working with "fair satisfaction," except as to the "picture bride" admissions.

Cancellation of the agreement was urged by the witnesses, who also argued that the committee should send a subcommittee to the Coast for an investigation to establish officially the conditions prevailing there. No decision, however, was made by the committee as to this investigation.

The examination of McClatchy is the forerunner of a general inquiry into the question of immigration to be undertaken by the committee, beginning within a few weeks. Representative Johnson of Washington, committee chairman, said that the hearings would be the basis for legislation as to a future immigration policy.