The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-13

~ Nh0 0oNAsoMeAOn kAUb hAD BCkIcInstOA
Of the Japanese in schools 10 In violation OF
the most favored nation clause In the
treaty with Japan the San Franciscans
who have thought It out that far have q
forcible reply. But most OF them nave not
thought it out that FAR: most Of them have
merely determined that for the reasons
above mentioned they will never again
send their children Il school with the jap
anese. And that they can be induced to
alter this determination by any fear OF the
wrath OF Japan, or in fact by any means
short OF coercion, nobody who understands
their present temper will for a moment
believe.
However, some Of them have q reply to
the treaty argument. They hold that the
Federal Government has no authority
whatever, treaty or no treaty. over the
schools of California or any other State.
They point, In proof Of this. TO the Tenth
Amendment to the Constitution OF the
United States. The Tenth Amendment
states that -the powers not delegated to
the United States by the Constitution, nor
prohibited by 1t TO the States, are reserved
to the States, respectively, or to the people,
The control Of their schools, they hold. is
thus obviously one Of the things delegated
TO the States.
The next step in this argument lie that II
the Government has made any treaty that
conflicts with this or any other provision OF
the Constitution that treaty IL more worth
less than the sheepskin upon which it Is
engrossed. -If.' the argument runs, the
United States has no authority over the
schools OF California 1t cannot be clothed
with such authority by any contract OF its
own with q foreign nation
1t may be that tho constitutional lawyers
could pick flaws In this argument, but to
the layman it does not appear just how.
70 the Californian it appears impossible.
But San Francisco has not b remotest
idea that Washington 10 serious or that any
real effort will be made by the President
to induce 1t to change it's mind. Is is conf
dent that the uproar will soon blow over.
Even now It thinks it perceives far over
h Sierrss the Pickering CLEAN OF the
Presidential wink.
Moreover, C~alifornians do not see what
Japan is going to do about it, anyhow.
They jeer at tho notion that the Mikado
would seriously consider gong to war
for suoh a cause. And they aver hat he
couldn't, If he would. They point to the
fact that the Russian war exhausted Japan's
financial resources, both at home and
abroad, almost TO the vanishing point.
That the island kingdom could get either
money or sympathy from any other nation
for a fight with US because a few thousand
Japanese were placed in separate Ssn Fran
cisco schools is to them q thing Incredible.
As to my loss Of trade which Japan
might inhict on this country, they declare
that our commercial weapons are far more
deadly than any Japan could use, inasmuoh
as we buy four times as much from japan
as Japan buys from US.
Secretary Metcalf's visit is creating
scarcely a ripple on the'surfaoe Of the City's
life. Californian though he is, San Fran
cisco is officially cold toward him. In
his official capacity he is treated about as
you would treat a Board Of Health inspec-
tor who called on an unpleasant errand.
"A Persian neighbor Of yours informs
the department that you are maintaining
an abattoir in your drawing room" says
the Inspector.
~-Indeed2' say you frigidly. walk in
and find it, please"
San Francisoo's temper toward the
Japanese is not at all improved by the
attitude Of the aliens since the fire and
earthquake. The Chinese have many ways
hateful to Californians, but thrusting them
selves bodily upon white neighborhoods
is not one OF them. The Chinese flock by
themselves.
Since the FIRE the Japanese nave settled
in large numbers in districts otherwise
entirely populated by white residents OF
a good class. They control whole blocks.
In the Western Addition these cases are
most frequent. In one case. when a dwell
ing had been rented to Americans for SIS
a month, a Japanese offered sl25 and got
it. He more than made up h difference by
filing the house with fully four times as
many japanese a. It had formerly sheltered
whites.
No. San Francisco is not r~epentant. She
thinks she has been more than generous
to the Japanese. She is confident that she
has acted we'll within her rights. But
she doesn't expect to be called on to prove
il.
And behind San Francisco stands Cali
fornia and the entire Pacific Slope. There
is no blinking that.