Arizona republican., 1904-03-31
The Chinese Exclusion Treaty.

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 Pursuant to the provisions of the treaty itself, the Chinese government some time ago gave notice to the United States that the existing exclu- sion treaty would be "denounced''- that is, that the term of the treaty would be brought to an end by the withdrawal O. China from the compact. Considerable curiosity has been ex- pressed to know what China expected to gain from this move. as the lapse of the treaty will not affect the Unit ed States statute under which Chinese are now excluded. Upon this point Sir Liang Chen Tung, the Chinese minis ter at Washington, said a few days ago:
 Two months ago I wrote to my gov ernment suggesting that it would be unwise to demand from the American government any concessions in the way of the admission of laborers, but that we ought to insist upon more liberal provisions regarding the admission of the exempted classes in order to save them from the humlliations and deten- tions they now undergo. l received reply that my proposal was approved, and that the entire matter would be left in my hands, with the assurance that my government would sustain me at every point. I have advised the state department of the general char acter of the treaty we should like to have.
 Ut is absolutely requisite that a new treaty shall provide for better treatment of the exempted classes. We shall insist upon that. and China will not enter into any treaty that does not provide for that. As for the exclu- sion of laborers. we regret the position of the United States, but realize that the opposition to our laborers cannot be removed at present.
 Ten or fifteen years from now we believe the American sentimnt will be more liberal. So. for the present, We waive the request for the admission of all Chinese and merely ask decent treatment of the exempted classes. It is too early yet to put the terms of treaty in precise form, as the present treaty does not expire until December 7th. For awhile we are content to exchange views with the state depart ment and officials connected with inn migration. find Secretary Cortelyou and Commissional-Gener Sargent very liberal and fair men, and have no doubt satisfactory treaty will be drawn up."
 Technically there is merit in the contention of the Chinese government. It cannot be denied that the exempted classes referred to by the Chinese min | ister have encountered oppressive con- ditions in trying to enter the United 1 States, but there is little prospect that the United States will sign a new | treaty that will be any more liberal in its terms as to them. With every de- sire to give Chinese merchants" stu dents" and so on all the facilities for travel consistent with the spirit of the exclusion treaty. this government has found an astonishing number of Chinese immigrants who claimed to be- long to the exempted classes. A more liberal treaty as to the exempted classes would simply increase the diff faculties in the way of excluding Chin csc laborers.
 It is possible, however, that the United States will be disposed to con- sider favorably the admission of a lim- ited number of laborers, to be classed in good faith as laborers, and not as | something else. During the past few years marked change in public senti- ment on the Chinese question has been manifest in California. There are cer- tain lines of labor in that state in which Americans will not engage: neither will foreigners, as a rule, ex- cept Chinese. All the Chinamen in the country are now middle-aged or | old men, and it is becoming a grave problem to determine how their places are to be filled. Accordingly, many people in California who formerly were radically in favor of the rigid exclu- J sion of all Chinese, now advocate such a modification of existing laws as will permit the immigration of cer- taini number-say a few hundred Chinese labOrers each year. But the action Of congress on this question will be, of course, to a large degree sub | ject to the wishes of the labor organi- zations. If these organizations let it be known that they are not opposed to a strictly limited Chinese immigra- tion. congress will quickly take down a bar or two to accommodate the pee pie of California.