The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-05

people. The courtesy of the Japanese, nationally and Individuality, has become proYerbial. To no other country has there been such m increasing number of visi- tors from this land as to Japan. In re- turn. Japanese have come here fin great numbers. They are welcome, socially and intlectnally. in all our colleges and in stitutions Of higher learning in all our professional and socig1 bodies. The Japanese have won in a single generation the right to stand abreast of the fore most and most enlightened people of Eu- rope and America; they have won on their own merits and by their own exer- tons the right to treatment on a basis of full and frank equality. The over whelming mass of our people cherish a lively regard and respect for the people of Japan, and fin almost every quarter of the union the stranger from Japan is treated as he deserves. that Is, he Is treated as the stranger from any part of civilized Europe is and de. serves to be treated. But here and there a most unworthy feelting has manifested itself toward the Japan ese-the feeling that has been shown in shutting them out from the com mon schools in San Francisco, and in muttering against them in one or two other places, because of their ef- ficiency as workers. To shut them out from the public schools is a wick ed absurdity. when there are no first class colleges in the land, including the universities and colleges of Cai- iforna, which do not gladly welcome Japanese students and on which Japan ese students do not reflect credit. We have as much to learn from Japan as Japan has to learn srom us; and no nation is fit to teach unless it Is also willing to learn. Throughout Japan Americans are we'll treated, and any failure on the part of Americans at home to treat the Japanese with a like courtesy and consideration is by just so much a confession of inferiorit5 in our civilization.
 Our nation fronts on the Pacific, just as 1t fronts on the Atlantic. We hope to play a constantly growing part In the great ocean of the Orient. We wish, as we ought to wish, for great commercial development in our dealings with Asia, and it is out of the question that we should permanently have such develop ment unless we freely and gladly extend to other nations the same measure of justice and good streatment which we expect to receive fin return. It is only a very small body of our citizens that act badly. Where the federal government has power it will deal summarily with any such Were the several states have power I earnestly ask that they also deal wisely and promptly with such con- duct or else this small body of wrong doers may bring shame upon the great mass of their innocent and right-thinking fellows-that Is. upon our nation as a whole Good manners should be an in- ternational no less than an individual at tribute. l ask fair treatment for the Japanese as I would ask fair treatment for Germans or Englishmen. Frenchmen. Russians or Italians l ask 1t as duo to humanity and civilization. l ask it as due to ourselves because we must act uprightly toward all men.
 I recommended to the Congress that an act be passed specifically providing for the naturalization of Japanese who come here intending to become American citl- zens. One of the great endorsements attending the performance of our interna- tional obligations is the fact that the statutes of the United States arc entirely inadequate. They fail to give to the na- tional government sufficiently ample pow CT, through United States courts and by the use of the army and navy, to protect aliens in the rights secured to them under solemn treaties which are the law of the land I therefore earnestly recommend that the criminal and civil statutes of tho United States be so amended and added to as to enable the President, acting for the United States government, which Is responsible in our international relations. to enforce the rights of aliens under treaties. Even as the law now is some thing can be done by the federal govern ment toward this end, and in the matter now before me affecting the Japanese, every thing that it is in my power to do will be done, and all of the forces, mii- tary and civil, of the United States which l may lawfully employ will be so em- ployed. There should, however, be no particle of doubt as to the power of the national government completely to per form and enforce it's own obligations to other nations. The mob of 8 single city may at any time perform acts of lawless violence against some class of foreigners which would plunge us into war. That city by Itself would be powerless to make defense against the foreign power thus assaulted, and if independent of this gov ernment it would never venture to per- form or permit the performance of tho acts complained of. The entire power and the whole duty to protect the offending city or the offending community lies in the hands of the United States govern ment It is unthinkable that we should continue policy under which given locality may be allowed to commit crime against a friendly nation. and the United States government limited, not to pre- venting the commission of the crime, but, fin the last resort. to defending the peopls who have committed 1t against the conse- quences of their own wrongdoing
 Cuba.
 Last August an insurrection broke out in Cuba which it speedily grew evident that the Cuban government was powerless to quell. This gov ernmnet was repeatedly asked by the then Cuban government to intervene, and finally was notified by the presi- dent of Cuba that he intended to re- sign; that his decision was irrevoca- ble; that none of the other constitu- tional officers would consent to carry on the government, and that he was powerless to maintain order It was evident that chaos was impending, and there was every probability that if steps were not immediately taken by this government to try to restore or der, the representatives of various Flu ropean nations in the island would ap- ply to their respective governments for armed intervention in order to protect the lives and property of their citi- zens. Thanks to the preparedness of our navy, I was able immediately to send enough ships to Cuba to prevent the situation from becoming hopeless; and I furthermore dispatched to Cuba the Secretary of War and the assist ant secretary of state, in order that they might grappe with the situation on the ground. All efforts to secure an agreement between the contending factions by which they should them