The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-11-01
METCALF TO PROBE
JAP COMPLAINTS
SECRETARY TO START INQUIRY
AT SAN FRANCISCO.
SEEKS TO STOP RUPTURE
Members Of Presidents Official Fam.
liy Consider Relations Between
the Two Countries Have As
sumed Most Serious Phase.

bufnGu WOSI 0CTtOdo EH0oSs
Washington, Oct. 27.-President
Roosevelt Friday night directed Vic
tor H. Metcalf, secretary of the de-
partment of commerce and labor, to
proceed to San Francisco and make
q thorough and complete inquiry into
the situation affecting the exclusion
Of Japanese children from the schools
provided for white children, and the
determination to place Japanese pu-
pills in separate schools.
The president is anxious to obtain
at first hand from cabinet officer
who is acquainted with local condi-
lions in San Francisco full informa-
ton affecting every phase Of the
subject, to the end that whatever ac-
ton is taken by this government may
be after an accurate understanding Of
the situation. The president feels
that every effort within the power of
the administration should be exerted
to see that all the treaty rights
claimed by the Japanese for its peo-
pie residing in the United States
should be respected and protected.
Demands Full Rights.
The determination to send Secre-
tary Metcalf to San Francisco was one
of the results of the request made
by Viscount Aoki, the Japanese am
bassador, who at conference with
Secretary Root Thursday asked, in
behalf of his government, that the
Japanese subjects in California be ac-
corded their full rights under the
treaty of 1894, including that of the
children to attend the public schools
Of San Francisco. This request was
the subject of very long and earnest
discussion at the cabinet meeting
Friday, when the conclusion was
reached that the best thing to do was
to send Mr.. Metcalf to California to
secure personally all the data which
could have any possible bearing on
the situation.
The dispatch of a cabinet officer on
such mission, it was argued, would
demonstrate to the Japanese the evi.
dent sincerity of this government in
dealing with the whole subject and its
desire to show that every effort is be-
ing made to get at the facts,
Allege Boycott on Restaurants.
Incidental to the inquiry into the
school question Mr.. Metcalf will pay
some attention to the charges made by
Count Aoki to Secretary Root that
Japanese restaurant keepers In San
Francisco have suffered indignities.
These reports, the ambassador says,
come from consular officers of the Jap.
anese government in San Francisco.
At least seven or eight reports have
been made, concerning a boycott in.
adgurated against these restaurants
and these reports state that agents
have been posted to prevent patrons
from entering the restaurants and in
several instances stones have been
thrown and windows broken.
The Japanese officials in Washing.
ton say they realize that these dem.
onstrations and the exclusion of the
school children are acts local in char.
acter but they say it is hard to con.
vince the people of Japan that the
central government is not responsible
for them.
. Metcalf Man of the Hour.
The president considers Secretary
Metcalf is well equipped for the work
which has been assigned to him be.
cause of his duties in connection with
the administration of the department
OF commerce and labor, and of the fact
that he is Californian with a thor
ough knowledge of conditions existing
in that state. Through the bureau OF
immigration in his department, the
secretary has been in immediate touch
with all phases of the immigration
question, and his knowledge Of the
Asiatic element has been that of po
litical experience.
Situation Is Grave.
Administration officials do not hest
tate to express privately their views
of the present anti-American feeling
growing out OF the wrongs which the
Japanese declare they have suffered,
and 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 require the most delicate treat
ment to prevent an open rupture.
The president 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 he
learned through Ambassador Aoki that
the Japanese press is for the most
part attempting to check the feelings
against Americans.
Fire In Drud House