The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-10-27
10 PROBE JAPS' CASE
President Sends Secretary Met
caIf to Look Snto san Fran
cisco School QueSs9on.
COMPLICATIONS ARE FEARED

Cabinet Member says Situation Is
Grave ana Requires Delicate Treat
ment-Presidert Tries 10 AIiayi Re-
sentiment of Niikadoss subiects-Jap-
anese Restaurant Keepers AesaiIed.
Washington, Oct 2g President
Roosevelt directed Victor Fl. Metealf,
secretary Of the department Of com
meree and labor to proceed to San
Francisco at. once and make a thorough
inquiry into the situation affecting the
exclusion OF japanese children from
the schools provided for white children
and the determination to place Japa-
nese pupils in separate schools.
The president Is aBxi5us to obtain at
first. .hand from d cabinet officer who is
acquainted with local conditions in
San Francisco full information affect
ing every phase Of the subject to tie
end that whatever action is taken bg
this government may be after an ac-
curate understanding Of the situation.
MI Mstcalf's home is in Oakland, Cal
President Active In Case.
The president feels that every effort
within the power OF the administration
should be exerted to see thar all the
treaty rights claimed by Japan for its
people residing in the United States
should be respected ana protected. The
( determination to send Secretary Met
calf to san Francisco was one of the
results of the request made by Wis
count Aolki, the japanese ambassador.
who at a conference with Secretary
Root asked in behalf of his government
that the japanese subjects in Califor-
MIA have their full rights under the
treaty Of 1884. including that of the
children to attend the public schools.
This request was the subject of very
long and earnest discussion The dis
patch Of a cabinet officer on such
mission, it was argued, would demon
strate to the japanese the evident sin
cerity OF Tins government in dealing
with the whole subject
70 Aliay Japanese Feeling.
Every facility will be put at Mr.. Met
calf's command to make his inyestiga-
ton as thofough as possible, but it is
hardly likely that any report from Mr..
Metcalf win be available before the
president leaves on his Panama "trip,
although Mr. Metcaif may send scme
of his information by telegraph soon
after he arrives at San Francisco. 1T
hoped by the administration offieialS
that the expressed desire OF the ad-
minisration to secure the treaty rights
Of the Japanese win tend TO allay the
ti-Ameriean feeling IN Japan until
the whole question is automatically
settled.
The inquiries to be instituted by Mr..
Metealf are supplemental to the steps
Initiated in san Francisco by direction
of the department of justice. to compel
the authorities to receive japanese pu-
pills into the public schools.
One member Of the cabinet said after
the meeting that the general opinion
of the cabinet was that the situation
was exceedingly grave and would re
quire the most delicate treatment to
prevent an open rupture. The prasi-
dent is doing all in his power TO show
the japanese that there is no general
feeling against the race, but that the
trouble is entirely local. and expressed
qualification when lac learned through
Ambassador Aoki that the japanese
press is for the most part attempting to
check the feeling against Americans.
Jap Restaurant Keepers AssaiIed.
japanese restaurant Keepers have