The National tribune., 1906-11-29
CUBA, JAPAN And
THE PHILIPPINES.
Race Question in Various Phases-Jap=
anese ExcIusion-Cuban Hunger for
Office.

The exchanges this week between ar
irving congressman, as well as with tn,
President and members of his Cabine
with reference to Cuba, are likely t.
take an interesting turn. The rae
question is bobbing up in that connec
tion, as well as with the Brownsville
affair An opinion is current that Con
gress that would establish a strong pro
thusiasm the Presidents declared pol
icy for another independent Govern
ment in Cuba unless important modifi
cations are made thereto. Secretar.
Taft is credited with being lukewarn
towards the Presidents plans for tn
reason that he does not believe it pos
sible of execution. His sympathies ar
rather with a large contingent of Con
gress that would establis ha strong pro
tectorate or take the island over i'm
mediately and have no further ado
about il.
Big debates are in prospect, for TIL,
Cuban question will be thrashed ou
when it comes to deciding whether the
cost of Intervention, now amounting VI
to $2,000,000, shall be saddled upor
Cuba. The proffigate Cuban Congress:
has plunged the island in debt for aboui
all the people can stand. The Amer
lean Congress will have to deliberate
carefully before placing an additiona
burden upon their wards. While th'
race phase of the situation will be KEEP
in the background as much as possible
1t is none the less a fact that the atti.
tude of the Cuban Negroes and theil
utter shiftlessness are very discouragina
to the friends of Cuban independence
The President is aware of all these
things, disclosures regarding which
have by no. means heartened him fol
carrying out his plans.
The race question Is coming to plague
the Administration from still othel
quarters. The Brownsville trouble ant
the Cuban trouble ought to suffice, bu
the japanese trouble on the Pacific
coast Is essentially race question, ant
the President has his hands full ir
finding a solution for It, Secretary OF
Commerce and Labor Metcalf is bacl
here, ready to tell what he found a
San Francisco. japanese Embassadol
Aoki is going to San Francisco to FIND
out a few things for himself. The Cali
fornia delegation in Congress are nov
speeding towards Washington, clamor
ing with one voice for a Japanese ex
.clusion act
They refuse to take no for an answer
Bills for japanese exclusion will be in
troduced and pressed this Winter o.
course, they have no chance of pass
ing, but the Californians are terribly il
earnest, and are planning long cam
paign. They will be coming with th'
same determination a year from now
and will show the Republican leader!
how California will go over to th'
Democracy bag and baggage-as it di,
about the time of the agitation fo
Chinese exclusion-unless the Fedora
Government acts. 1t is claimed tina
after campaign of education Congress.
will exclude the japanese. The prophets
point out that Chinese exclusion wa.
.scoffed at in official circles here wher
first broached, and that wise men de-
clared the enactment of such a law i'm.
possible and absurd.
1t remains TO be seen what a Repub.
lican Congress and a Republican Presi.
dent can do in the course of the mex
Is months, before another general cleo
ton, under the argument of poltica
expediency, enforced by. the demand,
of organized labor. 1t seems that thc
Republicans of the North. after maxim.
political capital out of the race prob.
lens in the South for q quarter of &
century must reap as they have sown
The South and the far West have come
into accord on race questions, and their
stand in the discussion of Brownsville
Cuba and San Francisco may contrib
ute something to the edification of tht
country. A flood of European immi
grants has begun to pour into the Soutf
within a few Weeks, which makes tn,
negro less desirable as a laborer In tha
section. This will likely accentuate rae,
feeling in the course of a few year
unless the negroes begin to hustle NOR,
for themselves and become more usefu
!n the community.
The intense ambition of Cubans Z
get on the Government rolls, Secretar
Taft finds, is shared by the Philippin
L., L,
concern. The past week the Secretar
has had an afternoon or two with for
mer Governor-General Ide, who ex
planned to him a lot about what tn
Philippine Commission has been doin
since the Secretary last visited Manila
A popular Assembly is to be set u
in the islands next year, altho not q
early as generally supposed. 1t ca
hardly meet before next September TIL
Secretary plans to be on hand for tha
eventful gathering. But he is consid
erably exercised lest the Assembly
composed of carpetbaggers fro;.! Ma
Mia. When the act creating the A.
sembly was passed the legislative di.
tricts for the many islands were care
fully designated. The Secretary fint
that the qualifications for residence
a given assembly district are likely
be an important factor. Manila is fu
of ambitious Filipinos who want to b,
come members of the Assembly, ar
they are exercising their wits in n,
merous ingenious ways to establish
residence in some outlying province tn.
will qualify them to become candidate
If these Manila Filipinos could ha'
their way they would permit one
qualify who goes to a given city to ha'
his washing done. The Philippine Con
mission is trying TO prevent that kir
of caper. 1t wants an Assembly
FiIipinos who are familiar with the
own communities and in sympathy vii
the people Secretary Taft is giving Il
Commission advice on that matter. j
is ready and willing TO spend about fol
months on the Pacific Ocean, going an
coming. for the sake of helping the.
Filipinos to good start in enacttI
their own laws, and he does not wal