Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1906-12-27
MESSAGE ON
JAP QUESTION
President Sends Communication to
Both Houses of Congress.

been transmitted to both houses of Con-
gress by the President
Il inclose herewith for your informa-
ton the final report made to me per
sonally by Secretary Metcalf on the sit
uaton affecting the Japanese in San
Francisco. The report deals with three
matters of controversy-first the eN-
clusion of the Japanese children from
the San Francisco schools; second, the
boycotting of Japanese restaurants. and,
third. acts of violence committed
against the japanese.
LAS to the first matter. l call your
especial attention to the very small
number of Japanese children who at
tend school, to the testimony as to
havior OF these Japanese children in the
schools, and to the fact that, owing to
their being scattered tn throIghout tpa the ne
go to one special school is Impossible
of fulfillment and means that they can
not have school facilities. Let me point
out further that there would be no OBJ
lection whatever to excluding IRON the
schools any japanese on the score OF
young men should go to school win
children. The only point is the exclu-
sion of the children themselves. The
number of Japanese children attending
the public schools in San Francisco was
very small. The government has al
ready directed that suit be brought to
test the constitutionality of the act in
question; but my very earnest nope IS
that such suit Will not be necessaryo
and that as a matter of comfy the cltl-
zens of San Francisco Will refuse to de-
prive these young Japanese children of
education and will permit them to go to
the schools
against the japanese is most admirably
put by Secretary Metcalf and l have
nothing to add to his statement. ! am
entirely confident that, as Secretary
Metcalf says, the overwhelming .senti-
ment of the state of California is for
law and order and for the protection OF
I,af,
erty Both the chief of police and the
acting mayor of San Francisco assured
Secretary Metcalf that everything pos
sible would be done to protect the Jap
anese in the city. l authorized and dl-
rected Secretary Metcalf to state that
if there was failure to protect persons
and property. then the entire power OF
the Federal government within the Inn
its of the constitution would be used
promptly and vigorously to enforce oi,one the
law of the land which treaty guaran-
teed to japanese residents everywhere IN
the Union full and perfect protection
this end everything in my power would
be done, and all the forces of the unlted
States both civil and military, which
1 could lawfully employ would be en-
poyed. I call especial attention to the
concluding sentence of secretary nC. Met
calfs report OF NoTfmoer renort 20; l'Ve ad
dressed to the President under date. of
November 26 last. and in part is as tol-
lows: -
ing as to the causes leading up to the
action of the school board in passing
the resolution, of October H. @ ana ele
effect of such action upon japanese |
children, residents of the city OF san
Francisco. desiring to attend the - pu4hhie thie
schools of that city: a report on 'hls
matter will now be made,
1T seems that for several years me
board of education of san Francisco had
been considering the adVlsablllty or es-
~ 1;,-I,;, rat tp e,
japanese and Corean children, ana on
May 6, 1905, passed the following reso-
" Resolved That the board of educa-
ton is determined in its efforts to eff
feet the establishment OF separate
schools for Chinese and japanese pupils,
not only for the purpose of releVlns the
congestion at present prevailing in our
schools, but also for the higher end
in any position where their youthful I'M
pressions may be affected by association
with pupils Of the Mongolian race,
And on October II the board passed
the following resolution: HI,
" Resolved, That in accordance with
article \, section 1862. Of the school
directed to send all Chinese. Japanese
or Corean children to the Oriental pub
lie school, situated on II the e.; south . side side
son streets. on and after Monday, Oc-
tober Is, 1906
THE action Of the board in the pass
1
and October II, 1906. was undoubtedly
largely influenced by the activity of
the Japanese and Corean Exclusion
league an organization formed for the
purpose of securing enactment by the
congress of the United states of law
extending the provisions Of the exist
ing Chinese exclusion act so as to eX- :
clude Japanese and Coreans.
THE number of schools in San Fran
cisco prior to April IS was 76. Of this
number IS primary or grammar schools
and two high schools were destroyed by
fire, and one high school was destroyed
by earthquake. leaving 45 schools. Since
April IS. "a temporary structures have |
been erected. making the total number {
OF school buildings at the present time !
The Oriental school, the school set !
rean children, is in the burned section.
= acre is only one japanese student at
tending this school at the present time, .
and there are no japanese children at .
tending any Of the other public schools. =
I visited the Oriental school in, com, .
pany. with the japanese consul and !
many of the new temporary structures =,
erected in the city. The course of in ;
struction is exactly the same as at the :
other public schools, and competent :
teachers are assigned for duty in this /,
school. Nearly all Of the pupils at }
tending this school have to be taught t
Il found the sentiment in the state
very strong against japanese young
men attending the primary grades. Many '
of the people were outspOken in their
of this course. saying +
that they would take exactly the same q
stand against American young men Of .
similar ages attending the primary D.
grades. ! am frank to say that this o
seems to me most reasonable !
one. All of the political parties in the |
state have inserted in their platforms |
planks in favor of japanese and CO. j.
rean exclusion. and on March :, 1905, the L
state Legislature passed a joint resolu- I
tiOn urging that action be taken by
treaty or otherwise to limit and dimin- +
ish the further immigration of Japan {
ese laborers into the United States =
The press Of san Francisco pretty }
board Of education. OF the attitude Of .
the more violent and radical newspapers f.
il is unnecessary to speak further than I
to say that their tone is the usual tone
Of hostility 20 Mongol hordes.' and the "a
burden of their claim is that Jananese q
are no better than Chinese. and that =
the same reasons which dictated the ex- c
rlusion of the Chinese call for the ex- q
clusion of the japanese well. a
The temper and tone of the more u
conservative newspapers NAV better be :
Illustrated by an epitome Of their ar ,
gument upon the public school ques- u
ton. That argument practically is as
follows: The public schOlS Of California T
are a state and not q Federal insfit1l- | 81
ton The state has the power TO abol- q
sh those schools entirely. and the Fed =
aral government would have no right al
10 lift its voice I'm protest. 1-upu the -
1ther hand. the state NAV extend the -