The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-19


The number of schools in San Francisco
prior to Apri, is was rs. OF this number
2S primary or grammar schools and
high schools were destroyed by fire and
one high school was destroyed by earth
quake leaving 40 schools. Since April 1S
q temporary structures have been erect
ed making the total number of school
buildings at the present time r. A map
showing the location of the public schools
in San Francisco attended by Japanese
pupils up to the time the order of the
board went into effect is herewith sub
mitted, and marked Exhibit b. (p. ID.
The portion of the map marked off with
red ink indicates the burned section Of
San Francisco.
The Oriental school, the school set apart
for the Chinese, Japanese and Korean
children, is in the burne' section. There
is only one Japanese student attending
this school at the present time, and there
arens o Japanese children attending any
of the other public schools. l visited the
Oriental school in company with the Jap
anese consul and found it to compare fav-
orably with many of the new temporary
structures erected in the city. The
course of instruction is exactly the same
as at the other public schools and compe-
tent teachers are assigned for duty in
this school. Nearly all the pupils at
tending this school have to be taught the
English language.
An examination of the map attached
hereto will at once clearly show that it
will be absolutely impossible for children
Presiding in the remote sections of the
city to attend the Oriental school. The
conditions in San Francisco are such,
owing to the great eonfiagTation, that 1t
would not be possible even for grown
children living at remote distances to at
tend this school. If the action of the
board stands, then, and If no schools are
provided in addition to the one men
toned, it seems that a number of Japan
csc children will be prevented from at
tending the public schools and will have
to resort to private instruction.
l found the sentiment in the state very
strong against Japanese young men at
tending the primary grades. Many of the
people We're outspoken in their condemna-
ton of this course, saying that they
would take exactly the same stand
against American young men of similar
ages attending the primary grades | am
frank to say that this objection seems to
me a most reasonable one. All of the
political parties in the state have insert
ed ntheir platforms planks in favor of
japanese and Corean exclusion, and on
March T. 1905, the state legislature past
a joint resolution urging that action be
taken by treaty or otherwise to limit and
diminish the further immigration of jap
anese laborers into the United States.
The press of San Francisco pretty gen.
orally upholds the action of the board of
education. OF the attitude of the more
violent and radical is the usual tone of
hostility to 'Mongol hordes," and the
burden of their claim is that japanese
are no better than Chinese, and that the
same reasons which dictated the exclu-
sion of the Chinese call for the exclusion
of the Japanese as we'll.
The temper and tone of the more con-
sentative newspapers may better be H.
Illustrated by an epitome of their argu-
ment upon the public school question
That argument practically is as follows
The public schools of California are a
state and not federal institution. The
state has the power to abolish those
schools entirely, and the federal govern
ment would have no right to lift its voice
in protest. Upon the other hand. the
state may extend the privileges of its
the state. may elect. and the federal gov
eminent has no right to question it's ae-
tion in this regard Primarily and essen
TALLY the public schools are designed for
the education of the citizens OF the state.
The state is interested in the education Of
its own citizens alone. 1t would not for
a moment maintain this expensive insti-
tuition to educate foreigners and aliens
who would carry to their countries the
fruits of such education. Therefore. IL
it should be held that there was a dis
elimination operating in violation of the
treaty with Japan in the states treat
ment Of Japanese children, or even II a