Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-13
Enforcement Of immigration
Laws Not Severe.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
THERE WILL BE A GREAT TIME
ON CoMMENCEMENT DAY.
To Visit Other Colleges In New Eng
land-Peace Negotiations Not Dis
cussed Today.

At the cabinet meeting today there was
| no discussion Of the peace negotiations
pending between Russia and Japan or kin
dred topics except in the most general way.
The entire meeting, which was not long
one, was devoted to departmental business
President Roosevelt has had a talk with
Secretary Metcalf about the visit to this
city yesterday of the cotton mill manufac-
turers Of the country, who urged that Chi
nese immigrants be accorded such treatment
as to give no cause to Chinese people and
officials to attempt anything like a boycott
on American goods. Secretary Metcalf will
look into this question and see what can be
done. but 1t Is understood that he has prac-
t1cally reached the conclusion that the sug-
gestion is properly for Congress and not for
the executive branch of the government to
act upon. The Chinese exclusion laws are
not enforced more harshly than necessary
1t Is stated. and there can be no change of
policy In that respect. If Congress wants
to relax the severity of the exclusion laws
so far as they apply to students, merchants
etc. it has power to do so. but the execu-
tive branch Of the government feels that 1t
is without power
1t Is stated that seventy-three Chinese
applied for admission to this country dur
Ing the present fiscal year under the stu
dent clause. OF this number seventy-one
were admitted and the other two were shut
out because they were disqualified under
the regular immigration laws-that is they
were diseased. and could not come in on
that account.
The Cotton Leak Investigation.
Secretary Wilson told the President that
he has been pushing the investigation into
the cotton leak charges. but that so far he
has not found anything to sustain the
charges that were filed. Despite this. how
ever Secretary Wilson is pushing the in
vestigatiOn. The secret service agent who
has been assigned to him has been in
structed to not only pursue all the charges
that were more or less defined, but to fol-
| low all rumors and reports so as to settle
the insinuations once and forever. If there
| Is guilt anyhere the Secretary wants 1t re-
vealed. If there is no guilt he wants these
repeated charges ended.
Mr.. Morton and His Work.
Secretary Paul Morton. who will formal
| iy retire from the navy July 1, is from now
on practically out of the department. At
| the close of the cabinet meeting today he
| said that the work in the Equitable Life
Assurance Society. of which he has been
| made the head. will claim so much Of his
| time that he will not give much attention
| to the navy during the remainder of this
| month. Assistant Secretary Darling, he
| said. would have full charge. Mr.. Morton
and Mr.. Shontz, head of the Panama
canal commission, spent some time with
the President after the cabinet meeting.
Presidents Trip to Harvard.
When President Roosevelt and William L.
Douglas the democratic governor of Mas
sachusetts. ride out to Harvard commence
| ment together. the program contem-
|
| men in the United States
| Governor Douglas will go in his capacity
| as chief executive officer of the common
wealth. duty which no governor Of Mas
sachusetts ever omits. To attend a Har-
ward commencement is as regular a part of
| his duties as to send an annual message to
| the legislature. Many of the governors
have been Harvard men, which has added
| to their interest in this duty.
Gov. Bracket, a republican who went
commencement errand. told his fellow
alumni that he entered the college with
| the maximum number of conditions which
We're then allowed, adding that this was
| the only maximum mark that he ever won
in the university. Gov. Russell, the bril-
liant young democrat, who was three times
| elected governor in that republican state,
| was a great hero at the Harvard COM
mencements. His class that of 1877. made
| 1t point to make old memorial hall echo
with their demonstrations of pride in
RuSSeIlS achievements.
Twenty-Fifth Reunion.
This will be a great year for President
Roosevelt's class. that OF 1880. It is it's
twenty-fifth reunion and from the old Gus
| tom of the university the class, which has
been out twenty-five years Is in virtual con-
| troll OF tbs. exercises of the day. The mar
shall for the commencement parade is
drawn from this class. Its chief speaker
always takes prominent part in the after
dinner oratory, and of late years 1t has be-
| come the practice for this class to mako
gift to the college One of the most orna-
mental gates to the college grounds is
known as the Glass of 1877 Gate
The Presidents class will thus dominate
| the commencement exercises this year. and
| 1t Is needless to say that he will be the
dominating figure of 1t all. Governor Doug
| las who will be called upon for a speech.
was manufacturing shoes when President
Roosevelt was a college student. He Is the
| first democratic governor the state has had
since $685. and his recent announcement
that he is unwilling to be a candidate again
shows that this will be his last as well as
| his first appearance, as governor, at Har-
ward commencement. There has been some
| talk that President Roosevelt. on his re-
| tirement from the White House, might ac-
| cept the presidency of Harvard. Its pres
| ent head Charles w. Eliot, has passed his
seventeen DlrtnOdyp Anu Will not many
years longer care to remain in that posi-
| ton.
One of the great figures of Massachu-
sets politics who will keep in the back
ground during this trip of the President is
Gen Nelson A. Miles. who is Gov. Doug
las chief of staff. Ordinarily he would go
to Cambridge with the governor. but it IL
understood this year he will plead an ap-
pointment In another direction. Mr.. Doug
las and Mr. Roosevelt have never come
into contact before, but 1t safe to say that
|MGREA1