Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-23
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Last Cabinet Meeting for
Some Time.
EVERY MEMBER THERE
CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO THE
THREATENED CHINESE BOYCOTT.
Difference Of Opinion Between secre-
taries Taft and Metcalf-Return
Of the President.
EVERY MEMBER THERE

The event Of the day at the White House
was the cabinet meeting the last that will
be held during the summer unless the Presi-
dent should call one at Oyster Bay. Every
member of the cabinet was present, the first
full meeting that has been held in several
months Secretary Morton attended his last
| meeting and has practically ended his con-
nection with the Navy Department, al
though he does not go out of office until
July 1.
Each cabinet officer presented some buEi-
ness for decision of the President, and there
was variety of subjects considered. 1t Is
stated that the question of an armistice be-
tween the contending Russian and Japanese
| armies was not taken up. That is a matter
that is wholly in the hands of the Presi-
dent and is not subject for general discus
sion, the situation being so delicate as to
preclude such a thing as taking many peo-
pie into the secrets.
The Chinese Boycott.
The most important subject touched upon
during the meeting was the boycott that
Is being broadened every day by Chinese
merchants against the manufacturers Of
the United States. owing to the rigorous
enforcement of the Chinese exclusion laws.
1t Is frankly admitted In administration
circles that the outlook is not a good one
and that something must be done to pre-
vent the increasing business with China
being lost to this country. Hundreds Of
Chinese guilds have entered into the strict
est kind of agreements that member who
buys a dollars worth of goods from this
country shall pay heavy forfeit
There is difference of opinion, hereto
fore mentioned in The Star, on the SUBJ
ject. Secretary Metcalf. under whose de-
partment the administration of the exclu-
sion law comes, declares that the law is
not harshly administered, and that the
trouble is the Stringency of the law itself.
Secretary Taft on the other hand is quite
sure that it is the administration Of the
law that is proving SO objectionable to the
Chinese.
This is getting to be a serious matter"
said Secretary Taft; "the Chinese are slow
in getting a thing into their heads, but
once there it is hard to get it out. That Is
going to be. our trouble. II the, Chinese
come to the Conclusion that We aie l.c.
treating them right they will resort 10
nearly anything In the shape of a boycott.
and 1t will take us years to change their
nind ds. The trouble is due to the mistakes
made in the administration of theslaw moro
than to the law itself. If less time were
spent in trying to find evidence against
innocent Cinnamon 1t would be better, as
many Cinnamon have been arrested who
ought not to have been given this trouble"
Secretary Metcalf's Opinion.
Secretary Metcalf expressed his opinion
that the law is not harshly administered.
This is shown" he went on, 'in the fact
that out of seventythree- students who
claimed admission last year. seventy-one
were admitted.
but the claim is made that 1t is the
Chinese merchants who are given trouble
and who are held up and required to fur
nish proof that their certificates are not
fraudulent"
TT is true that there are hundreds OF
IN 1np.f in hyr hivza-
men, but do not believe it is true that
merchants are held up as coolies. Any
man experienced with Cinnamon can tell a
coolie by looking at him. His shoulders,
from hard labor, are callous. So are his
hands, and he has different face from an
intelligent merchant The law requires
that every Chinaman coming to this coun-
try shall have a certificate signed by a
Chinese official and counters1gned by an
American consul There are so many of
these false certificates in use that our offi-
cals have a hard time in preventing
deluge of Chinese coolies coming in under
the pretense that they are merchants or
students
II realize that we want to have amicable
commercial relations with China and hope
that this matter will be adjusted. For the
first ten months of the present fiscal year
our trade in cotton goods with China
amounted to S21 100000 against just little
over $3,000000 for the same period of the
previous fiscal year. 1t will be loss TO
disturb this trade and L hope 1t Will not
be DONE
At the same time Mr.. Metcalf holds out
no suggestion of relief to the cotton man
ufacturerS and others except by congress
sional action, holding that the exclusion
law is not rigidly enforced
Chinese to Have Fair Play.
The President made it clear at the meet
ing TODAY that he was determined the Chi
nese should have fair treatment, under the
law. whenever they applied for admission
to this country at any port. He believed
this was not only in the interest or Amefi-
can manufacturers and business men, pue
no more than just to the Chinese Whilo
no definite decision was reached at To-Day
meeting it was the generally expressed
opinion that the amcabe diplomatic trade
relations which this country always mas
maintained with China should be continued
If possible.
To this end Secretary Hay will take ac-
ton on behalf of this country. 1t will be
the effort of this government 10 endeavor 70
correct any misapprehenSion that may exist
In China as to the too harsh enforcement or
the Chinese exclusion laws. There Is no
disposition to exclude from the country any
of the classes of Chinese who are exempt
from the operation of the exclusion laws
The discussion at the cabinet meeting was
caused by cable received yesterday by the
President from man named Rennie, locat-
ed at Hong Kong, and very prominently
connected with big flour producing concerns
in this country. MIR. Hennie cabled that ur-
less something was done Immediately
general boycott would surely be declared,
resulting in great damage to American in
dustry.
The Presidents Eyes ALI Right.
A newspaper story represents the Presi-
dents eyes as failing, and says that when
he goes to Boston next week to attend the
Harvard commencement he viii visit his
old family oculist. DR.. Morgan. for care
ful examination. 1t is stated at the White
House that the only thing true about the
story Is that the President viii visit Dr.
Morgan. His visit will be for the purpose
of having the lenses in his eyegiass frame
changed. 1t has been a number of years
since these were changed, and as the Prest-
dent gets Older there must be change.
His eyes are not failing and are as strong
as ever.