Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-12-04

In one or two other places because or
their efficiency as workers. To shut
them out from The public schools is a
wicked absurdity when there are no
first class colleges in the land, includ-
ing the universities and colleges of
California, which do not gladly well
come japanese students and on which
Japanese students do not reflect credit.
We have as much to learn from Japan
as Japan has to learn from us. and no
nation is fit to teach unless it is also
willing to learn. Throughout Japan
Americans are we'll treated, and any
failure on the part of Americans at
home to treat the Japanese with like
courtesy and consideration is by just
so much a confession of inferiority in
our civilization.
Our nation fronts on the Pacific just
as it fronts on the Atlantic. We hope
to play a constantly growing part in
the great ocean of the orient. We
wish. as we ought TO wish. for great
commercial development in our deal
ings with Asia, and it Is out of the
question that we should permanently
have such development unless we free
ly and gladly extend to other nations
the same measure of justice and good
treatment which we expect to receive
In return. 1t is only very small body
of our citizens that act badly. Where
the federal government has power 1T
will deal summary with any such.
Where the several states have power
earnestly ask that they also deal
wisely and promptly with such con-
duct or else this small body of wrong
doors may bring shame upon the great
mass of their innocent and right
thinking fellows-that is, upon our ma
ton as a whole Good manners should
be an international no less than an
Individual attribute. / ask fair treat
ment for the japanese as / would ask
fair treatment for Germans or English
men. Frenchmen, Russians or Italians.
1 ask 1T as due to humanity and civil
lization. l ask it as due to ourselves,
because we must act uprightly toward
all men.
NaturaIize Japanese.
l recommend 10 the congress that an
act be passed specifically providing for
the naturalization of Japanese who
come here intending to become Amer
lean citizens. One of the great en-
attending the perform
auce of our international obligations is
the fact that the statutes of the United
States are entirely inadequate. They
fail to give to the national government
ample power through Unit
ed States courts and by the use of the
army and navy to protect aliens in the
rights secured to them under solemn
treaties which are the law of the land.
therefore earnestly recommend that
the criminal and civil statutes Of the
United States be so amended and add
ad TO as to enable the president, acting
for the United States government,
which is responsible in our information
al relations. to enforce the rights of
aliens under treaties. Even as the
aw now is something can be done by
he federal government toward this
end. and in the matter now before me
Affecting the Japanese everything that |
t Is in my power to do will be done, |
md all of the forces, military and |
,ivil, of the United States which / may |
Awfully employ will be so employed. |
There should, however. be no particle |
If doubt as to the power of the nation
Il government completely to perform |
md enforce its own obligations to 9th
r nations. The mob of a single city |
nay at any time perform acts of law
esS violence against some class of for
gners which would plunge us into
var. That city by itself would be
'owerless to make defense against the
oreign power thus assaulted, and if |
Of this government it
would never venture to perform or
ermit the performance of the acts
omplained of. The entire power and
be whole duty to protect the offending
ity or the offending community lie
D the hands of the United States gov
1t is unthinkable that we
hould continue policy under which n
iven locality may be allowed to COM
lit a crime against a friendly nation
nd the United States government lin
ed not to preventing the commission
the crime. but in the last resort to
efending the people who have COM
lifted IL against the consequences of
leir own wrongdoing.