The Washington herald., 1906-10-25
TO JAPAN.
Administration FrOwns Upon
California Agitation.
WOULD VETO EXCLUSION LAW
Indiscreet Utterance by Rockefeller
and Others Are DepIOred-SeriOus
Consideration Given -Anti-AmeFi-
can Feeling Caused by Excluding
MfkadO's Children from Schools.

The government is giving serious consid-
Grafton to the anti-American feeling which
has been fOmented in Japan upon the
basis of the exclusion of Japanese chill
dren from schools in California and indis-
Greet utterances against the Japanese by
John d. Rockefeller and others. 1t can
not be said with too much emphasis that
the ruling members Of the Federal admin
stratiOn, from the President down, have
40 sympathy whatever with the discrimi-
nation against japanese or the attempts
to stir up opposition TO them. The belief
is general I'm government circles that agi-
tation in California or elsewhere in the
United States is not only Hl-advised. but
is without solid foundation. being CON
fined to an infinitesimal portion Of the
people
Whatever is possible for the government
to do to cOunteract the attempt to incite
a hostile feeling against Japanese in the
United States will be done II is believed
here that the agltators have in view the
formation Of a sentiment among labOring
men to secure the enactment by Congress
OF a law placing the Japanese upon the
same basis as Chinese, who desire 10 enter
the country. Any propaganda Of that
character will be fought vigorously by the
administration. and while there is no pres
ent fear that a japanese exclusion law
will be enacted. it is not going too far to
say with emphasis that should such leg
islation be put through by Congress It
would receive the veto OF President
Roosevelt
Government Is Anxious.
Not only does the government Of the
United States regard itself as on friendly
terms with Japan. but it believes that
there exists between the two nations
special Friendship" closer than ordinary
ties of amity. The government is anxious
to have that friendship continue II will
do its utmost TO have Japan so under
stand. i feels confident that the Jap
anese government realizes that President
Roosevelt and his advisors have no sym
pathy with the California movement. but
II is concerned that any Of the japanese
people should entertain mistaken notion
that few agitators on the Pacific Coast
represent the popular sentiment OF this
country. Something will be done soon 10
show the attitude of the government. and
it is understood that how thoroughly the
Administration depreCates the attempt to
discriminate against japanese residing in
America viii be made perfectly clear.
The Administration. however. finds IT,
self almost poWerless To- prevent misUn-
dcrstandiuE in the present crisis. Crisis
is not too strong "a word 20 apply. A
telegram received by the State Depart
ment a few days ago from Ambassador
Wright at Tokyo told Of the sentiment
aroused by she exclusion OF japanese chill
dren from San Francisco schools, and
represented the auti-Americau feeling as
serious.
TO is maintained here by persons Of
high position familiar with the situation
that q continuance Of the japanese ex-
clusion propaganda i'm California will
bring the United States face 10 face with
the prospect OF losing the l0ng-estab-
lishcd and special friendship of Japan.
with the attendant loss OF all the com,
mercial power and prestige which has
been built up in the Orient by America.
From this 10 Will be seen how concerned
the government is over the condition
produced by the California agitation.
Boycott Would BE Disastrous.
Ia tia opinion of many Of those whose
judgment is regarded highly. this coun-
try viii suffer greatly if the same feeling
is aroused in japan against America and
Americans that produced the boycott OF
American goods IN China Japans in
nuence in the iowery kingdom is preD0n-
dcraJing. Since the close OF the Russian
Japanese war hundreds OF young Chinese
nave been sent To Japan To be educated.
and japanese are going 20 China by the
thousands with the advantage of having
such excellent knowledge of the language.
the people. and customs that no other
nation can hope 10 compete with the
japanese for trade supremacy in China.
The spread Of anti-American feeling
among the japanese would be vastly
more harmful to the far eastern interests
of this country than the boycott agita-
ton in China, which the Washington
government was taxed to its utmost to
check. American trade suffered then,
and It IS contended that il will suffer
again TO a greater degree if the Japanese
abandon their friendship for the United
States.
There is no concealment here OF the
strong desire Of the government to re-
tain Japans friendship. or Of the fact
that every effort Will be made 70 pre-
serve harmonious relations between the
two countries Nor is it concealed that
the maintenance of close intimacy with
Japan is threatened. II is hoped by the
government that the japanese will not
forget 60 soon how steadfastly the Unit
ed States worked to prevent the parti-
ton of China
No doubt need be entertained that the
administration in Washington will con-
tinue to cooperate with the govern
ment in Tokyo for the maintenance of the
friendship so highly priced by both. The
fear in this capital is, however. that the
people Of Japan will not be able TO dis
tinguish between the attitude of the gov
eminent Of the United States and the at
titude Of a few agitatOrs.
The most hopeful sign in the present
embarrassing situation is that no formal
protest has come from Japan concern
ing the exclusion of japanese children
from San Francisco schools. This indi-
Gates that the Tokyo government has not
been carried away by the agitation
against the United States, but still has
faith in the friendliness Of its Western
admirer
THREE WIVES IN SIX YEARS.