The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-21
WAS
LED into ERROR
San Francisco Board of Edu-
cation Again Makes Plain
Statement of Facts.
METCALF ROUNDLY SCORED
NO INDICATION OF BACKING
DOWN.


San Francisco, Dec 2o.-In reply to the
communication from Mrs. Flora b. Har-
ris. one of the most widely known of the
american missionaries now residing in
TOXIC, on the Japanese school question in
this city, the San Francisco board of
education. through it's secretary, Gilmore
g Leffingwell. has framed an answer
winch VIII be msiled to Japan Mrs. Har-
rls letter is conceived in a friendly at
utude, though she does not hesitate to
criticize what she terms the provincial
spirit Of the local officials. She depre-
Gates the attempt TO classify the Japa-
nese as "orientals'A or anything else cal
cuiated to convey derogatory implica-
uon- and has a number of suggestions to
make which she presents with the best of
Mrs. Harris communication has appar-
entity reused the ire of the San Fran
cisco school board which resents the in
reference, but welcomes the occasion to
put Itself On record. Defiance seems to
De The keynote of the reply and the pres
ldenf of the United States is said to have
h'sinterpreted the local situation.
Letter of Mrs. Harris.
In a portion of her letter Mrs Harris
says;
I deprecate the misunderstanding in
san Francisco. The Pacific has become
mere ferry for traVei and commerce and
san FRANCISCO must therefore be cosmo-
PoItsn IN spirit rather than provincial.
4, WIN many others, regret that she has
! SHOWN provincial lack of knowledge as
regards our treaty obligations 1t is
news to us all that the children of any
foreign residents under our flag can be
eNctuoed from the public schools and
segregated without their consent, solely
on account of their nationality To found
special schools for the diverse ratives
would be to establish dangerous prece-
dent"
Reply of the Board.
In the reply. of the board of education
8 is FOUND the following:
The Japanese have not been ex-
GUIDED from the public schools of San
Francisco Despite the fact that no less
a parsonage than the president of the
United States has employed a similar as
sertion in framing a message to con-
sress, and notwithstanding the wholly
tlhialr report made of the entire school
incident by the secretary of commences
and labor, the Hon. Victor H. Metcalf
the declaration that the japanese have
been excluded from our schools is an
error
The 'provincialism' of Californians. as
you term il, is, oddly enough. reflected I
oregon and Observation-Disclosures citi-
zens whose patriotism does not find place |
IN the soft glow of far eastern sun and /
whose likelihood has been shed more
times than once in defense of treaty |
rights. of liberty. of justice and the PRO- |
lection OF American institutions
No Intention to Offend.
Let me say in closing that the board
OF education has not set out to offend !
any race OF people, or visit hardships or |
even moarrassments upon them The |
new rules in force would not even be /
commented upon. if the Japanese children /
were permitted by their elders and their
mentors quietly to attend the oriental /
school. which. as J have said is as ex-
cellent as any IN the city.
Were we spared the superfluous de-
bates of diplomats and statesmen, and
did the agents of two great nations but
consent To refrain from scoring diplo-
matte points by using this school tonic
as pretext. there cannot be any ques-
ton but that the Japanese children would
today be attending the oriental school in
happiness and content and there would |
not be the slightest excuse for friction
between the two great nations that have
enjoyed friendly relations in the past.
ana. let US hope. may continue to har-
monize in the future.
Not Afraid of Roosevelt.
The fact that the president of the
United states, basing arguments upon
erroneous assumptions and framing
against a loyal people scathing criti- |
Slsms, regarding matter which is purely
one of local concern. does not in the least
fter the people of the Pacific coast
.hO. after all, are doubtless the best |
Judges of their own immediate needs and
welfare. Neither do the misleading de-
auctions and recommendations of a uoIi-
tician high in authority. when voiced
through document which plainly sought
the light of favor and not of truth, i'm
sense of doubt as to their rights as free
born Americans. or to the justice of
the stand they have taken. Without the
intervention of misinfOrmed or Dreiudiced !
public men California would deeply have
appreciated an opportunity to exercise
the fundamental right to deal with this
subject alone and unaided. in which event
Japan might have spared herself much
of the concern that has resulted from
the work OF meddlers.
Will Not Recede.
The board of education will not re-
cede from its position, and whether the
president of the United States has been
led into error and now applies emphatic
language to the people of this state or
whether ambitious secretaries distort
plain facts and shape documents that
may perhaps be formidable, in a political
sense. the school authorities of this city
acting under state law and without
very reasonable stand that has been
taken.
Il regret that I have not the opportun- |
fty here further TO exploit this absorbing
topic, in the hope that 1 might bring a
former Californian to the views now en-
tertained by every loyal citizen of the
sure you that 1 thoroughly appreciate
your valued letter, and that I am not
unmindful of the weight and worth of the
information which you afford me.
Only One Regret.
1.-The greatest fear in connection with ;
This matter which the DOdTQ OF education
and the people of California now harbor. I
IS that motives should be impugned facts
distorted and Hisappled, and the entire I
subject be caught up as a flimsy excuse
for a most regrettable international de-
bate and a pretext upon which poll |
ticians may stir the people of two great
countries.
Yours respectfully. K
'E. c. IEFFINCWEIL
Secretary Board of Education" I
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