Anti-Croatian Prejudice

SEATTLE, WA-The hardships and prejudices encountered by Croatian immigrants to the United States have been summarized by historians Prpic, Cizmic and Antic to mention a few. Most references have been to life in the coal and steel communities. It is my purpose here to extend this lamentable record by describing the wrongly based and biased attempt by the Washington State Fish Commissioner to bar Austrians ("principally from the province of Dalmatia," as he put it) from fishing for salmon during the 1918 season. But first, some necessary background information.

Washington State, at the last turn of the century, was blessed with an extraordinary abundance of natural resources-coal, timber and Pacific salmon being among them. Beginning in the 1890s thousands of Croatians came to the state to help exploit these riches. The immigrants tended, with considerable overlap of course, to group by area of origin and by chosen occupation. Generally, thosefrom Gorski Kotar worked the coal mines in the Roslyn/Ronald/Cle Elum area and those from coastal Dalmatia (plus a few from Primorje and Istria) gravitated to communities at water's edge-Tacoma, Seattle, Bellingham, etc., where they could participate in the commercial fishing industry. Many single men from Lika lived and worked in logging camps, while immigrants from the Neretva region of Dalmatia not only fished but also worked in the logging/forest products industry and at the large smelter in Ruston near Tacoma.

The first Croatian Fraternal Union lodge west of the Rocky Mountains (Lodge 56) was founded in Roslyn in 1897. In 1904 it was the Society's largest lodge, with 364 members. The much smaller mining community of Wilkeson established Lodge 189 in 1902. Greater Tacoma was the unchallenged center of the state's fishing and boat-building industry in the early years, but the first CFU lodge there (246) was formed in 1903 in Ruston-the site of the smelter. Aberdeen the center of the logging/forest products industry, was next with Lodge 323 (now 271) in 1906. By 1918, when the events of the present article came into play, there were 13 lodges in Washington State.

A Little About Pacific Salmon

Pacific salmon are one of nature's many wondrous creatures. Their life cycle features two distinct migrations-one from their freshwater birth stream to the ocean and the second, now as maturing adults, back from the ocean to their freshwater birth stream. It is during the latter migration, from the ocean to birth stream, that a portion of the adult salmon are harvested -usually as they school in the ocean near the mouths of large rivers which they are about to ascend. The portion of the adult population that avoids harvest and continues upstream is known as the escapement or breeding population. Healthy escapements are needed if the resource is to renew itself and justify harvesting in the ensuing cycle year. Overharvesting and blockage of the upstream migration of the breeding population are two of many possible factors that can reduce the size of a salmon population. Both of these factors will come into play as our documentation of prejudice against Croatians unfolds.

The Fraser River Salmon Fishery

British Columbia's Fraser River, a major producer of Pacific Salmon, empties into the province's oceanic waters just a few miles north of the U.S.-Canadian border. Because adult salmon returning to the Fraser school widely about the Fraser's mouth before migrating upstream to the spawning grounds, they are vulnerable to the fisheries on both sides of the border. It was here, on the U.S. side, that immigrant Dalmatian fishermen mastered the use of fishing gear known as the purse seine and dominated the U.S. catch of Fraser River salmon (primarily the species known as sockeye salmon) from 1906 to 1913. 1913 was a fateful year for Fraser River salmon and it was the events of 1913 that eventually led to the attempt to ban the Dalmatian fishermen five years later. The 1913 FraserRiver sockeye salmon season started out well enough, with a great abundance of fish and large catches. Unfortunately, the escapement, which was expected to be large as well, did not materialize on the spawning grounds. Rock slides, caused by railroad construction in the Hells Gate Canyon of the Fraser had blocked or impeded the upstream migration of adult salmon. With the spawning populations reduced in 1913, the abundance of returning salmon dropped sharply in 1917, the ensuing cycle year. (Fraser River sockeye salmon generally have a four year cycle: 1909, 1913, 1917..., etc.) The failure of the 1917 return from the sea raised the concerns of everyone involved -fishermen, resource manager and (unfortunately) politicians.

Blame the Dalmatian Fishermen

Leslie H. Darwin, a political appointee, was the Washington State Fish Commissioner during these stressful years. His published reports to the governor and his correspondence indicate that he was a nononsense, letter-of-the-law type man and that he was very negative about the participation of non AngloSaxons in the commercial fisheries. During the early years of his tenure (1913-16) his concern was about the "Japs" (his term) and Chinese cannery workers, even though these humble laborers posed no threat to taking over the salmon fishing industry.

But given the events of 1917, the collapse of the sockeye salmon fishery and the December 7 Declaration of War on Austria-Hungary, the Commissioner found a new target for his prejudices-the Dalmatian fishermen. Most of the Dalmatians were still citizens of Austria-Hungary even though they had announced their intent to become Americans by having taken out their "first papers."' .Commissioner Darwin, despite knowing full well about the devastating effects of the rock slides, sought to blame overfishing by the Dalmatian fishermen as the main cause of the fishery's collapse in 1917. Recall, after all, these Dalmatians were not Anglo-Saxons.

Darwin moved quickly. Within weeks of the Declaration of War he advised the Washington State Attorney General of his intention to deny licenses to "enemy aliens," as he called them, and sought an opinion on the legality of the action. His rationale included statements such as: The near destruction of the Fraser River salmon run is directly attributable to the introduction of the purse seine operated with power boats. The use of these seines stole upon us like a thing in the night. We are doubly unfortunate that the purse seines are operated largely by Dalmatian aliens. These Dalmatians came here with the express purpose of catching fish as fast as possible to the end that they amass money as quickly as possible without any intent of making this their home. Their one idea was to secure sufficient money as quickly as possible to return to Dalmatia. These Dalmatians, who operate more than two-thirds of the purse sein boats, never had the least intention of becoming American citizens. The great majority are disloyal at heart.

They have their own organizations to which only their own nationals can be admitted (writer's note: including several CFU lodges). Thus we are faced with having one branch of our great food supply almost entirely in the hands of alien enemies of our country at a time when we are struggling for our national existence and when civilization itself hangs in the balance. To let these aliens destroy the resource is, in my judgement, a crime against civilization itself. Note the inflammatory words. And the bias. No mention here of rock slides or other possible factors leading to the decline of salmon abundance. Only those disloyal Dalmatians -those "enemy aliens." Get them and their purse seines out of the fishery!

Justice Prevails

Fortunately, the Commissioner did not succeed in his bid, although for a while it looked as though he might. On March 12, 1918 he gained a temporary victory when the Attorney General issued an opinion supporting his denial of the licenses. Eventually, however, a convergence of factors undercut the Commissioner's prejudicial crusade. On May 2 a fisherman named Nick Constanti (from Stari Grad, Island of Hvar) asked the Washington State Supreme Court for writ of mandate compelling the Commissioner to issue the licenses. On May 10 the Court ruled in Constanti's favor, noting among other things that the Dalmatians were "friendly aliens" rather than "enemy aliens" according to the terms promulgated by President Woodrow Wilson in conjunction with the Declaration of War. Unconvinced, the Commissioner immediately filed petition for rehearing.. This filing, until it could be heard, negated the Constanti victory and reinstated the Attorney General's decision not to issue the licenses.

Meanwhile, other voices were raised in behalf of the Dalmatian fishermen. U.S. National Archives show that as early as April 24, 1918 two Dalmatian fishermen from Tacoma (Frank Berry/Bertapelle and JJ Petrich) were in touch with federal authorities seeking their intervention in the crisis. And in Seattle, Simon Skalabrin (a Dalmatian who was not a fisherman but who was a very articulate spokesman for Croatian causes) made a vital contact with U.S. Secretary of Commerce, William C. Redfield. Those of us who were close to Simon in his twilight years (he died in 1988 at age 103) know well about his meeting with Redfield-we have it in writing, we have it on audio tape and we have heard it a hundred times.

As succinctly as possible, the story is this: Secretary of Commerce Redfield was in Seattle, stopping over between meetings in Vancouver, B.C. and Olympia, the state capitol of Washington. Hearing of his presence and knowing the desperate plight of the Dalmatian fishermen, brother Skalabrin sought and was granted a meeting with Redfield. In pleading the case, Skalabrin hit hard on two points. The first dealt with allegiance and patriotism. These Dalmatian fishermen were not Germanic Austrians! They were Croatians from Dalmatia who spoke the Croatian language and who owed allegiance to the United States where they had applied for citizenship. Some were in the U.S. Army fighting in France. Moreover, several Dalmatian-owned shipyards in Tacoma and nearby were contributing to the war effort. Second, canned salmon, a non-perishable, easily transportable product, contributed vitally to the nation's wartime food requirements-at home and on the front. (Needless to say, the canning industry vigorously espoused this same point of view and came down firmly on the side of the Dalmatian fishermen.)

Impressed with Skalabrin's presentation, Secretary Redfield promised to articulate the Dalmatians' view to state authorities and to investigate the matter further. He also promised to write Skalabrin a letter, confirming his intervention on the Dalmatians' behalf. Every indication is that Secretary of Commerce Redfield followed up on his promises. U.S. Archives indicate that he wrote letters to the Washington State Attorney General on May 9, 1918 and to Skalabrin on May 10, 1918-both on the subject of the fishery problem. U.S. Archives, unfortunately, has long since disposed of the letters. Skalabrin said that he cherished his letter from Redfield for 41 years until 1959 when he gave it to Croatian journalist Ivan Lupis-Vukic. This writer has searched the Lupis-Vukic's memorabilia in Split and in Zagreb, unfortunately without finding the critical Redfield-Skalabrin letter. Yet, there are indications that Skalabrin's efforts, together with others, paid dividends even before the Constanti case was decided by the Washington State Supreme Court. Consider, for example, the plaintive letter from Fish Commissioner Darwin to the Governor on June 15, 1918 (excerpted): Honorable Ernest Lister, Governor Olympia, Washington

Dear Sir:

May I call your attention to a most extraordinary situation that has just arisen in connection with the administration of the affairs of the office of the State Fish Commissioner. On June 13 1 was called by Clarence L. Reames, Assistant U.S. Attorney General asking me why I was not issuing licenses to Dalmatian enemy aliens. Mr. Reames rebuffed my explanation and (citing Section 20 of the U.S. Penal Code) stated:

"Unless you commence issuing licenses to these (Dalmatians) by Saturday morning, June 15, 1 will cause your arrest, the penalty for which is a fine of $1,000 or imprisonment in jail for one year."

I am advising you of the astouding position taken by Mr. Reames so that you may advise me what course I shall follow in view of his threat.

Respectfully,

(signed) L.H. Darwin

State Fish Commissioner

Someone (Skalabrin? Berry? Petrich?) by calling the attention of the federal government to the matter, had rendered the Dalmatian fishermen a huge assist. Federal attitude and federal law were on their side. As it turned out, it was never necessary for Commissioner Darwin to go to jail or even pay a fine. Four days later (June 19) the Court decided the whole matter by divided opinion, ruling that Darwin's appeal for rehearing in the case be denied and that Constanti prevailed. Thus the Commissioner began issuing licenses to the Dalmatians, but reluctantly so-putting up makeshift roadblocks at every turn. This final ploy ended when the Federal Government ordered him to remove all obstacles to the issuance of the licenses. Practically every Dalmatian fisherman, if not every one, went fishing that year, with no time lost.

Sequel

Fraser River sockeye salmon abundance remained at low level for many years and the causes of decline continued to be debated. Eventually an exhaustive research program conducted by the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission from 1938-45 yielded indisputable evidence that the sockeye populations had been devastated by rock slides at Hells Gate in the mainstream of the river in 1913-14. Thanks to the construction of an effective fishway around the obstructions in 1945-46, the populations have been rebuilt to a considerable extent.

Dalmatian fishermen of a different generation continue to participate in the harvest of these valuable fish in both Canada and the United States. The dispute currently raging between the two countries over the harvest and conservation of west coast salmon stocks, including Fraser River sockeye, is comfortably beyond the scope of this article.

Richard L. Major

Zajednicar

August 27, 1997