The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-12-01
JAPANESE RACE PROBLEM is
GREATER THAN THAT OF THE
NEGROES.
CONFLICTING OPINIONS
In the Frisco Matter-Trade of the
Orient Affected BY the Attitude
of California Toward the
yellow Foreigners.

ing larger IMAM ever the Japanese
question overshadows most of the 9th
er problems before Washington. This
is saying much at time when race
questions have excited the different
nationalties Of the American people
to the verge of violence, and when
the pursuit of trusts and the hunting
down Of erring millionaires have
reached a stage when the curtain can
be expected any day to go up on
a setting OF tremendous human inter
est.
In the Japanese question the presi-
dent has before him Il race problem
quite as important as that which has
been famed by Senator Tillman and
others into white heat over the re-
lations between the whites and the
blacks But he has more, He has
placed before him for solution an in
ternational matter which reaches
round the world; which touches the
relations of the United States with |
Japan, and which, with less marked
degree. affects the trade with Corea |
and Manchuria, and incidentally may |
in time reach the peaceful community |
of the interest in the Pacific surround |
ing the Hawaiian Islands and the
Philippines.
State Rights involved.
Coming more nearly home it invol-
yes in concrete form the question of
the power of the Federal Government
10 step in and regulate the affairs OF
q state when the manner in which the
affairs of the state are administered
conflicts with the foreign policy of
the government or the treaty rights
Of friendly foreign power.
Since the return of President Roose-
welt from Panama the japanese dis
pute, which was perplexing before
has become acute No one would be
surprised TO see AIR Roosevelt bsins
the whole matter to the attention OF
congress at an early day.
The position of the case today II
that the Japanese have protested 30
this corntry as a Federal government
against the practice Of the State OF
California of refusing the japanese
access to the public schools where
white children are taught. They in
sist that under the treaty of 1904 Jap
anege youths who have come to this
country shall be admitted with white
children to the schools of California.
The president has promised them r.
dress, and Secretary Rcot has made
hat a
1894 the Japanese have the same
rights in the public schools of Cali
fornia as the children of the Call'
fornians. He has also sent a cab'e
message to Toxic promising the treat ]
mont accorded the people of the most
friendly European nation. The chill
dren of Europeans are, of course. Civ
en- access TO the Californian schools.
Conflicting Opinions.
I'm the heat of this comes Mr.. Mcj
calf, Secretary Of Commerce and La
bor who was dispatched TO California
when the president took his trip south
with the official information that the
government cannot make this prom
ise In the meantime Secretary Root
has studied the question, and has
brought to light decisions in favor of
the contention being made by himself
and the president. which had long
been forgotten. and which have never
been applied in American diplomacy
the contention of Secretary Root
be adopted as the policy of the govern
ment by congress. and sustained by
the courts, We are on the verge OF n
new departure, and are about, in tho
interests of the japanese. to reverse
The doc rine of a century Of diplc-
macy. In other words, rights which
the state have successfully asserted
are to be swept aside and the Federal
government is TO become supreme
even 10 the question Of the regulation
by School Boards and other local
bodies
Here is where the difficulty comes
in. California trades unions. having
had one experience with a movement
of great proportions from theg Orient
look askance at this considerable
movement from across the sea. They
do not regard the Jap" as a sociai
equal. They look upon him very much
as they look upon the Chinaman. For
many years they have maintained sep
arate schools for the Chinese. When
the Japanese demands access to the
white schools he is turned away 70
the Chinese schools. This Injuries the
Japanese pride. because he looks
down upon the Chinese as an inferior
race. just as in some par-s Of this
country the white man looks down
upon the negro.