nd parts of Utah. Lately he has passed blithely over the hot,
lava-strewn, and fairly non-irrigated state of Arizona to the more
fertile agricultural lands of Texas. And yet a couple of hundred prize
boobs in Congress talk sagely about an amicable settlement of the Jap
problem in California! When they want information, they consult the
Japanese ambassador!"

"But why," Kay ventured to ask, "do the Japanese not acquire
agricultural lands in the Middle West? There are no restrictions in
those states in the matter of outright purchases of land, and surely
the soil is fertile enough to suit the most exacting Jap."

"Ah, young lady," Bill Conway boomed. "I'm glad you asked me that
question. The Jap is a product of the temperate zone; he does not take
kindly to extremes of heat and cold. Unlike the white man he cannot
stand such extremes and function with efficiency. That's why the
extreme northern part of Japan, which is very cold in winter, is so
sparsely populated, although excellent agricultural land. Why freeze
to death up there when, by merely following the Japan Current as it
laves the west coast of North America from British Columbia down, one
can, in a pinch, dispense with an overcoat in January?"

"Enough of this anti-Japanese propaganda of yours, Senor Conway," Don
Mike interrupted. "Our friends here haven't listened to anything else
since I got home last night. Mr. Parker, being quite ignorant of the
real issue, has, of course, fallen under the popular delusion; and I've
been trying my best to lead him to the mourner's bench, to convince him
that when he acquires the Rancho Palomar--which, by the way, will not
be for at least a year, now that I've turned up to nullify his judgment
of foreclosure--that it will be a far more patriotic action on his
part, even if less profitable, to colonize the San Gregorio with white
men instead of Japs. In fact, Mr. Parker, I wouldn't be surprised if
you should succeed in putting through a very profitable deal with the
state of California to colonize the valley with ex-soldiers."

Old Bill Conway turned upon John Parker a smoldering gaze.

"So I'm building a dam to irrigate a lot of Jap truck-gardens, am I?"
he rumbled.

The sly, ingenious manner in which Miguel Farrel had so innocently
contrived to strew his already rough path with greater obstacles,
infuriated Parker, and for an instant he lost control of himself.

"What do you care what it's for, Conway, prov