Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-08-24
SURPRISE AT WASHINGTON
MATTER HAD BEEN UNDER CONsID-
GRAFTON THERE.
No Action Had Been Taken, However,
and Nothing Is Known Officially
in Regard to General OTIS
ActiOn-Chinese viii
Enter Protest

| WASHINGTON, Aug. 23-The state de-
| partment has been informed through a dip
| lomatic channel that General Otis has ap-
piled the Chinese exclusion laws to the
Philippines. The information was a sur
| prise to the authorities here. both state
and military, as the matter has been under
| consideration for some time and it was not
known that General Otis had put the ex-
| clusion laws into force.
| The first intimation in that direction
came in dispatch received a few days
ago from the Chinese consul at Manila,
telling the Chinese legation here that the
exclusion laws against the Chinese had
been applied to the Philippines. The dis
patch was brought to the attention of the
state department, and inquiry made as to
how the action was brought about, as the
Chinese government has been solicitous
since American military control was es-
tablished in the Philippines that the United
States exclusion law should not be ex-
tended over these islands. The state de-
partment knew nothing of such an extern
sion, and made inquiry of the war de-
partment. The military authorities, how
ever, were equally without information as
to General Otis course in this particular
Accordingly, the Chinese officials were
advised that any action taken by General
Otis in applying the exclusion laws to the
Philippines was not the result of instruc-
tions sent from here, but was doubtless
due to the exercise of his authority as gov
ernor general of the Philippines. What
further step the Chinese authorities will
take has not been determined, as Minister
Wu Ting Fang is out of the city for few
days. There is little doubt, however, that
he will seek to have General Otis order
held in allegiance until the authorities here
pass upon the general question, which has
been under consideration between the two
governments.
In this connection the state department
has received an important letter from Mr..
Williams, our former consul at Manila,
who still remains there in a confidential
capacity. He says the native Filipinos are
strongly opposed to Chinese labor, and in
his opinion the exclusion of the Chinese
from the islands would materially aid in
bringing the war to a close. He places the
Chinese population at 5000, which is con-
siderably more than other estimates from
official sources The letter is dated July 26,
and brings the situation up to recent date.
1t has been turned over to the war de-
partment to be used in the general consid-
Grafton of the exclusion question.
The Chinese government has shown more
anxiety as to the course Of this government
toward those in Cuba or other parts of the
world, mainly because the Philippines are
so near China, and large numbers of Chi
nese are already established there. They
carry on the bulk of the retail trade, have
an extensive quarter in Manila, and send
out travelling statesmen, carrying packs to
the remote interior of the islands. Some
of the official reports, including those of
Admiral Dewey. have paid a tribute to the
work performed by the Chinese, and Naval
Constructor Hobson has recently reported
to the navy department on the value of
Chinese labor in naval and commercial pur-
suits in the far East
This had led the Chinese officials here to
believe that the exclusion laws would not
be applied to the Philippines, and they are
still hopeful that General Otis action will
be a temporary move, incident to military
occupation, and not part of the permanent
policy of this government toward the ISL
ands.
The only action taken here as to the Chi
nese exclusion laws has been In ruling
that they were not part of the imullgra-
ton laws, and did not apply to Cuba and
Porto Rico.