The Washington herald., 1906-12-07
RumOrS of Negotiations with
Japan Promptly Denied.
CHANGE MAY COME LATER
Talk of New Conventions Persists
In Spite of DeniaIs from Highest
Sources-senator Perkins Thinks
"PeOns" VIII BE Barred Eventual
Iy-CaIifornians Feel Better.


toward the negotiation of new treaty
with Japan which shall provide for the
exclusion OF japanese laborers from the
United States.
The administration has not commenced
to negotiate a treaty of this kind, nor has
ii paved the way to such action. If such
a treaty comes at all. it will not come for
long time-ceTtainly not until after the
adjudication by the courts in California
of the question of whether the local law
providing for the segregation of japanese
pupils in the public schools is incompat-
tble with the guarantee Of rights to Jap
anese under the existing treaty.
Japan has decidedly the better OF the
situation as it exists now, and unless a
new treaty can be arranged without
giving reason for the impression that
that country has In any way receded
from the position it has assumed in the
school matter, the chances for the nego-
tatiOn of such convention are decidedly
small.
The administration deprecates the con-
tinued agitation Of the japanese ques-
tion. II believes that the whole Situa-
tlOn will adjust itself satisfactorily 10 all
concerned, if the public and the news
papers viii only permit it TO do so.
The situation is analogous to that relat-
Ing to two boys. each Of whom was try
ing to raise a bed of flowers One sue
ceeded and the other did not, because he
persisted in pulling up his plants every
day 10 see how they were getting on.
The idea of the administration is that
If the japanese question is not dug up
so frequently everything will come out
right in the end.
Danger of Trouble Past.
a confident feeling exists in official
ci-cles that danger of trouble with the
great power of the far East has passed
away with the cordial reception given
by the government, press, and people of
Japan to the comments In President
RooseveIt's annual message on the sub
ject Of discrimination against japanese
subjects in the United States
This feeling on the part Of his coun-
trymen was echoed by the Japanese Am
bass8dCr. ViscOunt Aoki during a per
sOnaI visit 10 President Roosevelt Tues
day.
II became known yesterday that Wis
count Aoki had voluntarily gone to the
White House and thanked the President
for his complimentary illusions to Japan
and the japanese. and for his promise
that the rights of these japanese sub
jects residing in the United States would
be thoroughly protected.
That there is nothing acute IN the situa-
tion is indicated by the departure of Sec
retary Root from Washington for New
York yesterday afternoon. He had a
conference with Viscount Aoki during the
day Mr.. Root has been active in his ef-
forts to bring the japanese muddle TO an
amicable conclusion. and the President is
relying upon his advice.
Treaty RumOrs Persist.
Rumors of a new treaty continue TO
persist. in spite of official denials from
the White House, the State Department.
and the japanese Embassy. Senator Per
kins, of California, intimated that a move
in the direction of a new convention had
been instituted, after he had had an in
terview with President Roosevelt yester-
day.
Everything viii be all right" said the
Senator. THE people of California are a
unit on the question, and the President is
a great. patriotic American I predict
that negotiations Will soon be begun for
new treaty to keep japanese poems out
of this country. The japanese govern
ment prefers that l5s people go TO Man
chuTia and Korea and we prefer il. So
on that important point we are agreed"
Senator Perkins said other interesting
things bearing on the situation after his
White House visit. He explained that he
had not talked with the President about
the reference in Mr.. ROOsevelt's message
TO using the military forces of the gov
ernment in preserving the treaty rights of
japanese in this country. for the reason
that he was satisfied that the President
meant that he would go to tha extreme
indicated only in the event that these
japanese needed protection from physical
violence.
Pacific Coast Unanimous.
'The President" he said. will learn
that the Pacific Coast is unanimous in its
sentiment. and he will not resist that
sentiment More fuss has been made
about 1t East than out West The truth
is that there are not forty japanese chill
dren Of school age in the city of San
Francisco, and probably not 100 in the
whole State.
Therefore, it seems 10 me that the
small number of children should make no
objection to attending schools set aside
for them and maintained by taxation of
white taxpayers. Here in Washington
there are separate schools for white and
cOlored children. In California we have
a law forbidding any Minister to marry a
Caucasian and a MongOlian. There has
never been any rumpus about that So
why should there be about separation of
the school children?
Il claim that we have not violated the
treaty with Japan in letter or spirit If
the courts see fit 20 uphold the contention
that the treaty is violated we will see
that new treaty is made that will not
give such rights.
Before doing anything further the ad
ministration will await the outcome of
the test case to be instituted in the Cali
fornia courts for the purpose Of determin-
ing whether the exclusion of japanese
from California public schools is a viola
ton Of treaty rights. Secretary Root is
credited with having made the sugges-
ton that this test case be instituted, and
the administration looks upon it as a So
luton of the present aspects of the diff
ficulty.
CaIifOrnians Feel Better.
The California Congressman are in a
rather better state of mind than they
were when they first read what President
Roosevelt had to say about discrimina-
ton against japanese on the Pacific
Coast. They have been assured from the
White House that the Presidents refer
ence to his intention to use military force
If necessary and lawfully, was meant TO
anply only TO an instance where Japanese
protected by treaty rights were threaten
ed with physical violence. 1t is pointed
out that. OF course, the President could
not use Federal troops even then. unless