Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-27
,JAPAN'S
DEMAND
HEEDED
President to. Send
Metcalf to the
Coast
Latter Will Investigate
the Conditions in
San Francisco
Treaty with United States Provides
That Japanese Children May
Attend the Public
Schools

BY Associated PresE.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26-President
Roosevelt tonight directed Victor H.
Metcalf, secretary of the department. of
commerce and labor, to proceed to San
Francisco and make thorough and
complete inquiry into the situation af-
fecting the exclusion of Japanese chill
white children, and the determination
to place Japanese in separate schools.
The president is anxious to obtain at
first hand, from cabinet officer who
is acquainted with local conditions in
San Francisco, full information affect
ing, every phase. of the, subject, to the
end. that whatever action Is taken by
this government may be after an accu-
rate understanding of the situation.
The president feels that every effort
within his power should be exerted
that all the treaty rights claimed by
the Japanese for their people residing in
the United States should be respected
and protected.
The determination to send Secretary
MetcaIf to San Francisco was one of
the requests made by Vscount Aoki,
the Japanese amba ssador, who at q
conference with Secretary Root yester-
day asked that the Japanese subjects
in California be accorded their full
rights under sthe treaty of 1894, includ
ing that of the children to attend the
public schools Of San Francisco.
This request was the subject of a very
long and earnest discussion at the cab
met meeting today when the conclu-
sion was reached that the best thing to
to was to send Mr.. Metcalf to Califor-
mia to secure personally all the data
which could have any possible bearing
on the situation.
Will Leave Today
Mr. Metcalf will leave Washington
tomorrow afternoon and will proceed
to San Francisco with all possible dis
patch. Every facility will be put at his
command to make his investiga tion as
thorough as possible, as the president
is anxious to have the inquiry conduct
ed with all possible expedition, in order
to have the results at hand without de-
lay. 1t is hardly likely that any report
fore the president leaves on his Panama
trip although Mr.. Metcalf may send
some of his information by telegraph
soon after he arrives at San Francisco.
1t is hoped by the administration Off
cials that the expressed desire of the
administration to secure the treaty
rights of the Japanese will tend to allay
the anti-American feeling in japan un-
til the whole affair is automatically ad-
justed.
During his investigation Secretary
Metcalf will, If he finds 1t necessary,
communicate with the authorities Of
the school board who have direct charge
of the schools in which the Japanese
pupils have been denied admission. He
will also consult with the Japanese con-
sular officers in San Francisco and
other sources of information.
Will Investigate Boycott
In addition to the inquiry into the
school conditions Mr.. Metcaf will pay
some attention to the charges made by
Count Aoki that japanese restaurant
keepers In San Francisco have suffered
ndignities These reports, the ambas-
sador says, come from consular officers
of the Japanese government in San
Francisco. At least seven or eight re-
ports have been made concerning a
boycott inaugurated against these res
taurants. and the 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 Washington
say they realize that these demonstra-
tionS and the exclusion Of the school
children are acts local in character, but
they say it Is hard to convince the
people of Japan that the central gov
ernment is not responsible for them
Administration officials do not hesi-
tate TO express privately their views of
the present anti A merican feeling grow
ing out Of the wrongs which the Jap
anese declare they have suffered, and
one member of the cabinet said today
that the general opinion of the cabinet
was that the situation was exceedingly
grave and would require the most deli
cate treatment to prevent an open rup-
ture.
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 gratification when he learned
that the Japanese press is for the most
part attempting to check the feeling
against Americans.