The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-13
SAN FRANCISCO AND TIE JAPS.
CITY WILL NEVER BACK DOWN
ON TEE SCHOOL QUESTION.


Laugh NJ the kuen OF war MOst Ot INC
Jap Children Segregated Are Men.
Sam FRANcIsco, Nov. l2.-There IL no
more doubt that the School Board Of San
Francisco intends to stand by its gun in
the matter of compelling Japanese here
resident to attend separate schools than
there IL that in this course the board will
be backed up overwhelmingly by the public
sentiment Of this city. and State. Not
only Is California behind San Francisco
In this matter, but the entire Pacific sea-
board In behind California as well.
There Ii no question whatever that the
feeling against the Japanese is rising fast.
1t IL already very nearly as strong as the
sentiment that forced the passage Of the
Chinese exclusion act. The Chinese popu-
lation is actually decreasing in California,
while the Japanese population is increasing
by hops. skips and jumps.
As 20 any suggestion of practical
Federal interference San Francisco is more
than spunky. She is positively i~mpudent.
Secretary Metoalf.' ays one OF the most
conservative Of the local papers. SIS not,
as United States Official, entitled to any
information whatever in regard to our
schools. What is given is given as a matter
OF courtesy"
In short, the general tone of public opinion
here is that the treatment melted out to
the Japanese regarding school accommo-
dations is none Of the Federal Governments
business. California doe not believe that
President Roosevelt really intends to take
it up seriously. She believes that the send
irx of Secretary Metcalf here, ~ostensibly
10 investigate and report, il merely a harm
less and empty way OF soothing the Japanese
ire.
1T is throwing q bone TO . hungry dog to
stop his COMPOUNDED howling,- is the way
one man put it.
California snorts at the notion that the
Government would for an instant interfere
In the present management Of her schools.
But il CALIFORNIA; confidence should prove
to be misplaced, should the President
really decide that separate schools for the
Japanese OF San Francisco constitute a
violation OF Japsn's treaty rights, and
should TAX steps to put that decision into
practical effect, there IL no question what
ever that there would be an outbreak of
wrath more than sufficient to turn Cali
fornia from a Republican to q Democratic
State.
The school boards action is not merely
the deed Of q narrow minded, politically
subservient body. 1t represents the feeling
OF a vast majority OF the population, re-
gardless Of party Affiliations. In no other
act Of its career has the oity's school board
shown itself 80 truly q representative body.
California and the Coast are solidly behind
it. Let the East make no mistake about
that. Also, let the East consider the argu-
ments put forward to justify the school
boards action.
Il will be news to most Fasteners tina
almost none Of the Japanese schoolboys are
boys. Practically without exception they
are fun grown men between the ages Of
20 and 30. Yet Japan expects them to be
allowed to sit side by side, day after day,
with American boys, and. more extraordi-
nary yet, girls of tender years. How
inquiries San Francisco, would you in the
East like it il you were asked to send your
boys and especially your girls to school
with full grown men, even we're they OF the
same raoei'
Whatever answer the East may make
20 this query San Francisco emphatioally
does not like it in the very httlest least, nor
does she propose to put up with it.
The principal object Of the Japanese
who attend the public schools is TO acquire
familiarity with the spoken English Ian
euage. San Francisco declares il most
unreasonable and unjust in every way to
ask teachers to spend a lot of their time
that belongs to the children OF San Fran
cisco for the purpose Of drilling English
into Japanese heads. There ia neither a
legal nor q moral obligation resting upon
the city, It is declared, to teach English to
any alien. Slav, Mohammedan or Mongo-
lian. But II you object that no objection
is made on this account to the presence of
other foreigners In the schools, your San
Franciscans will retort that there are many
Japanese in the schools and few other
foreigners.
Moreover" he will add with hat touch
OF significant acidity with which he sp-
proaches every phase OF the Japanese
question, ~if we choose to teach English
10 one nationality and not to another that
is our business and nobody's else" One
thing is sure-the average San Franciscan,
rightly or wrongly, takes the view that
to send his children to school with grown up
Japanese 10 no more or less than exposing
them to a moral poison.
The results OF the fire and earthquake
furnish still another argument for segre-
eating the Japanese for school purposes.
In that great disaster no less than twenty
seven schoolhouses were destroyed. Very
few Of them lave been replaced. The con-
sequence Is that there is a marked shortage
Of school accommodations, for the children
Of school age are scarcely less than before
che Hre. San Franciscans hold hat under
these circumstances they would be album
dainty justified in barring the Japanese
entirely from the schools. AS IL Ia, they
hold, ~segregating them merely puts them
to the inconvenience Of going further than
formerly for their schooling.
But the San Franciscan has a more in
vincible argument han any or all OF these.
He points to the South and its segregation
Of black from white, not only in the schools
but in the street cars.
Has the Federal Government ever
attempted to interfere in that matter2" he
asks. "Of course not. II It did there
would be a roar that would shake the
continent. Yet In that case the discrimi-
nation Is made effective against citizens OF
the United States m against their children.
II the South may put the children Of citizens
In separate schools We rather think we