Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-10
San Erancisco's Reasons.

present time about the trouble in Cali
fornla as the result of the unwilling
ness Of San Francisco's school authori-
ties to allow Japanese to attend the
public schools of that city. In fact, it
has seemed possible that the matter
would result in International compllca-
tons, and some people who have a
special faculty for seeing things have
even conjured up a war scare between
| this country and Japan as the result OF
| the incident. Secretary Metcalf has
been to California as the representa-
| tive of the administration to investi-
gate the conditions, and in his message
to Congress last week President Roose-
welt used tie incident as a text for an
| extended eulogy on the japanese as a
nation, declaring with characteristic
| emphasis that the rights of the
Japanese in this country must be re-
Spected and no discrimination shown
against them in any section. He even
| went so far as to say that it was a
"wicked absurdity" for the San Fran
| cisco school authorities to bar them
| from the public schools of that city.
No doubt the country as whole
fully agrees with all the President said
in praise of the Japanese and most
people doubtless regard the San
Francisco incident as a case of lots of
| smoke from a very small fire. 1t is
| interesting, however, to get at first
hand San Francisco's side of the case
| editorial from the, San Francisco
Chronicle, one of the leading papers Of
the Pacific coast; which sums up San
Francisco's reasons for it's attitude
| toward the Japanese.
1t is unfortunate that the Eastern
people cannot. or will not, understand
the attitude of the people of this coast
toward Japan. During their recent
war the sympathy of our people with
Japan was universal and outspokcn
of the coalition headed by Russia in
rohhinG Japan of the fruits of her vic
tory in 1894, and then braZenly ap-
prOprating them to themselves. This
friendly international feeling has never
abated. although we here recognize
japan as. a deadly commercial COMPETE
tor which will rapidly superscdc us in
Asiatic commerce. We admire and
respect Japan as the most vigorous eX-
ponent of Oriental civilization.
The objection of our people is simply
to the establishment of Oriental forms
of civilization in the United States. We
particularly object to a japanese in
VasiOn, because. as the Japanese are
most virile of Oriental peoples, their
Indgment on our shores is by so much
the more dangerous. We recognize
that Asiatic peoples are entitled to
maintain such forms of civilization and
such a standard of life as they prefer
in their own country, and to exclude.
if they so desire, and as they certainly
did once desire. the people Of Western
countries. SO far as we are concerned
they are quite welcome, as they have
the right, under the existing treaties,
ers from Japan. We claim the same
right, and demand that it be exercised
Nothing can create an unfriendiy feel
ing among us toward Japan except an
effort to push her people into our coun-
try against our wish, just as our own
Commodore Perry, half century ago,
forced an entrance into Japan against
the resistance of the japanese. There
WAS no justification for that except the
conduct of japanese pirates toward the
crews of wrecked American ships.
Any nation has a right to demand OF
any other nation hospitality to ship
wrecked sailors. To the extent Of Sc
curing that. only, was our intrusion
into Japan justified. But that was a
long time ago. There is no longer any
fear Of any injury which a government
can prevent to the subjects of either
nation lawfully within the jurisdiction
of the other. The japanese in San
Francisco are protected by the authori-
ties and by public opinion quite as
sacredly as the rest Of us.
But we desire no more of them.
There are too many here now. 1t is
not right that they should come. I'll
in time will change, and it will be i'm
possible to prevent trouble. We are
convinced that japanese statesmen
Will see the reasOnablencss of all this
The only trouble is in the sordid char
acter OF Eastern people. who would
wreck our civilization if thereby they
could sell calico. and our headed
national administration, which is much
of the same character. We have more
hopes Of convincing the japanese
statesmen of the wisdom Of keeping
the races apart than Of convincing
Eastern manufacturers and fool senti-
mentalsts. We should be delighted to
sit down and talk it over in friendly
way with representative Japanese not
concerned with ocean transportation
nor with contracts for coolies.