Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-12-18
SPECIAL MESSAGE
ON JAP QUESTION
Sent to Congress by
President Roose-
welt.
Eu|I RFp0RT 0F MF1CA|F
FULL REPORT OF METCALF
Its Main Feature---Comments
Few and to the Point
Covers Ground Fully.

Following is the special report OF
President Roosevelt on the Japanese
question, which went 10 Congress to-
day. 1t consists principally of the re-
port of Secretary Metcalf concerning
the feeling in California and num-
Der of exhibits are attached, from
Japanese newspapers and officials
tending to show the general senti-
ment. There are few comments.
TO the Senate and House of Repre-.
sentatives:
inclose herewith for your informa-
tion the final report made to me per-
sonally by Secretary Metcalf on the
situation affecting the Japanese in
San Francisco. The report deals with
three matters of controversy-tirst,
the exclusion of the japanese children
from the San Francisco schools; sec
ond, the boycotting of Japanese res
taurants. and, third, acts of violence
committed against the Japanese.
As to the first matter, | call your
especial attention to the very small
number of Japanese children who at
tend school, to the testimony as to the
brightness, cleanliness, and good be-
havior of these Japanese children in
the schools, and to the fact that, ow-
ing to their being scattered thruout
the city; the requirement for them all
to go to one special school is impos-
sible of fulfilment and means that
they can net have school facilities. Let
me point out further that there would
be no objection whatever to excluding
from the schools any Japanese on the
score Of age. It is obviously not de-
sirable that young men should so to
school with children. The only point
is the exclusion of the children them
selves. The number of Japanese
children attending the public schools
in San Francisco was very small. The
government has already directed that
suit be .atght sstest ,ts3, constitu-
tionality of the act in question; but
my very earnest hope is that such
suit will not be necessary and that as
a matter of comfy the citizens of San
Francisco will refuse to deprive these
young Japanese children of education
and will permit them to go to the
schools.
Nothing to- Add to Secretary's State
ment.
The question as to the violence
against the Japanese is most admir-
ably put by Secretary Metcalf, and |
have nothing to add to his statement.
am entirely confident that, as Secre-
tary Metcalf says, the overwhelming
sentiment of the State of California Is
for law and order and for the protec
tiOn of the Japanese in their persons
and property. Both the chief of police
and the acting mayor Of San Fran
cisco assured Secretary Metcalf that
everything possible would be done to
protect the Japanese in the city. l
authorized and directed Secretary
Metcalf to state that if there was fail
ure to protect persons and property
then the entire power of the federal
government within the limits of the
constitution would be used promptly
and vigorously to enforce the obser-
vance of our treaty, the supreme law
of the land, which treaty guaranteed
to Japanese residents everywhere in
the Union full and perfect protection
for their persons and property; and to
this end everything in my power
would be done, and all the forces OF
the United States, both civil and mil
itary, which could lawfully employ
would be employed. | call especial at
tention to the concluding sentence of
Secretary Metcalf's report of Novem-
Der 26, 1906.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House, December IS. 1906.
Report Of Secretary MetcaIf Con-
densed.
Attached to the report of the Presi-
dent is the report of Secretary Met
calf. In this report briefly summed up,
Mr. Metcalf says:
The action Of the board of education
of San Francisco in excluding the Jap
anese and Korean children from the
schools was influenced largely by the
Japanese and Korean exclusion
league, organized to secure an act Of
Congress making the Chinese exclu-
sion law applicable to the Japanese
and Koreans.
At the time the school boards or
der went into. effect there were only
ninety-three Japanese pupils attending
school in San Francisco of which
number twenty-five were born in the
United States.
The principal objection to the Jap
anese attending school is that most ,f
them 1t is said are young men from
20 to 20 years old, and they are { l.
lowed to associate with children
There is only one Japanese student
attending the separate school for Jap
anese in San Francisco, which is To-
Gated in the burned district.
The unions of San Francisco from
october to October "a, maintained
boycott against Chinese restaurants
in San Francisco, showing the feeling
among the working class.
Many assaults upon Japanese and
their property have been made re-
Gently in San Francisco and other
coast towns.