The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-06-13
PROTEST TO
 ROOSEVELT #. Chinese cluSlOn Laws
 Too Strict. cAUSSG NEEDLESS HARM An Appeal That SOmethlng Be Done. Members of the American Asintic As- sociation Call on the President
 And Engage in q Confer
 ence.

WaSntnKIOn. June lk-T iOotbShS Roosevelt held a conference today with about thirty members of the American Asiatic Association. representing the cotton textile industry and the iron and steel trade of the United States.
 The delegation entered a formal pro- test against such an enforcement or the Chinese exclusion laws as might imperil the export trade of this coun- try with China. It was pointed out that the commercial organizations of China were threatening to boycott American made goods. especially cot ton and steel products. unless arrange ments were made whereby Chinese merchants. students. literary men and travellers could enter the United States without the serious dif1culty which they now encounter. The Chinese urge that members of the classes which. under our exclusion laws. are permitted to enter the United States are subjected to inconvenience and humiliation by the immigration off- cers and they insist upon more libe- ral treatment of the exempt classes of their countrymen.
 The delegation was headed by John Ford. of New York. Secretary of the American Asiatic Association. who made the following address
 MT. Ford's Speech.
 "The American Asiatic Association Is an organization formed to eo-ope- rate with this government In main taininfi and defending the trade and treaty rights of the United States In the countries of Eastern Asia. lndi- viduaily the members of this deleRa- ton speak for the cotton textile indus try of the United States. representing $500. 0.000, ,O00 of invested capital and three hundred and fifty thousand wage earners. whose prosperity and welfare are today absolutely dependent on the retention of the market for the pro- ducts of that industry which have been opened in China, they speak for at least one department of the still great CT iron and steel industry of the Unit ed States; they speak for a branch of our export trade which is growing more rapidly than any other and whose value in tho current fiscal year wit probably exceed fifty million dollars
 The occasion of this visit is to invite your attention to the present unsatis- factory character of our relations with the Chiness Empire and the condi- tions growing out of these which di- rectly threaten the continuance of profitable and highly essential part of our commerce. The friendly character of these relations have been of late ad- verselv affected by the absence of satisfactory immigration treaty be- tween the United States and China. and by the dissatisfaction of the mercan- tile class in China with what they con- ceivel to be an unjust and oppressive operation of the rules adopted and en- forcsd by the immigration officers of the Uuited States in dealing with their countrymen whom our laws declare entitled to visit this country.
 Laws at Variance.
 Tt must be held to be unfortunate hot laNa nA -f~ava e I- the treaty stipulations which, since the expiration of the treaty of 1894. are in force between the two countries. We are not here to question the competency of Congress to modify the provisions of any treaty with a foreign power, but We do question the expcdiency of the Government of the United States occupying an attitude in opposition to the principle which it has long main tained that a nation cannot plead it's domestic Legislation as a bar to the ob- servance of its international obltga- ton.
 The treatment accorded by the im- migration officers of this Government to the exempt classes of Chinese visit ing our country is more oppressive than either the letter or the spirit of the law requires. Moreover, the plain est principles of international justice demand that the law itself shall be made more liberal either by amend ments or the negotiation of a new treaty or by both.
 We urge upon you the extreme dam ger to the industrial and commercial interests of the United States of allow ing the conviction which has been growing for some time in China to be- come a fixed one that our Government desires to discourage the coming here of the merchants, students and litera- ft 1f Tho oF haf vast and populous Empire Is with the young men who have almost ceased to resort to our schools and colleges for their education because of the humil- iating ordeal to which the administra- ton of our immigration law exposed them, and other countries will profit at our expense by the welcome they ac- the fruits of Western culture to the new era of progress which has begun in tho land of their birth
 From either moral or material par ticipation in that progress. our country is debarred by persistence in a policy with which. Mir. President, you have disclaimed all sympathy, but which is, nevertheless, made to appear to be the policy of this Government by the in- depreciation placed on the law by some of its agents.
 ''The members of this delegation feel confident that they VIII not appeal 10 you fin vain in asking that a remedy should be sought for the anomalous and unsatisfactory condition of the ex- fsting relations between this country and the Chinese Empire"
 President Roosevelt responded cor dially. He took exception to the inti- nation that the immigration officers were too insistent on the enforcement of the law, but in other respects agreed with the delegation that it would be proper for this Government to encour- age friendly relations with China. He proposed to do all in his power to pro- mote United States trade with China and to promote. generally the export trade of American producers, farmers as well as manufacturers. He prom ised to take up the subject with Secre- tary Metcalf of the Department of Com merce and Labor and other officials and do all possible to remedy the diff ficulty.