Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-05

IitTUHLlOnHl no less luttI III iIuANIUNHl
attribute ask fair treatment for the
Japanese as I would ask fair treat
ment for Germans or Englishmen,
Frenchmen, Russians OF Italians.
ask Il as due to humanity and civiliza-
ton. ! ask Il as due to ourselves be-
cause we must act uprightly toward
all men.
Suggests Naturalization Of Japanese
I recommend to the congress that an
act be passed specifically providing for
the naturalization Of japanese who
come here intending to become Ameri-
can citizens. One OF the great em-
barrassments attending the performs
ance of our international obligations
is the fact that the statutes of the
United States are entirely inadequate.
They fail to give to the national gov
ernment sufficiently ample power,
through United States courts and by
the use Of the army and navy, to pro-
tect aliens In the rights secured to
them under solemn treaties which are
the law of the land. I therefore ear
nestly recommend that the criminal
and civil statutes OF the United states
be so amended and added to as to
enable the president, acting for the
United States government, which is
responsible In our International rela-
tions. to enforce the rights of aliens
under treaties Even as the law now
era1 government toward this end, and
In the matter now before me affecting
the Japanese, everything that It is In
my power to do will be done, and all
of the forces, military and civil, of the
United States which / may lawfully
employ will be so employed. There
should, however, be no particle of
doubt as to the power of the national
government completely to perform and
enforce its own obligations to other
nations. The mob of single city may
| at any time perform acts of lawless
violence against some class of foreign
ers which would plunge us into war.
That city by itself would be powerless
to make defense against the foreign
power thus assaulted, and IL indepen-
dent of this government 1t would never
venture to perform or permit the per-
formence of the acts complained of.
The entire power and the whole duty
to protect the offending city or the
offending community lies in the hands
of the United States government. 1t is
unthinkable that we should continue
| a policy under which q given locality
may be allowed to commit a crime
against a friendly nation, and the
United States government limited, not
to preventing the commission of the
crime, but, in the last resort, to de-
Tending the people who have committed
it against the consequences of their
own wrongdoing.
Cuba
\ Last August an insurrection broke
out in Cuba which it speedily grew
evident that the existing Cuban gov
ernment was powerless to quell. This
government was repeatedly asked by
the then Cuban government to inter-
vene, and finally was notified by the
president of Cuba that he intended to
resign; that his decision was irrevo-
cable; that none of the other constitu
tional officers would consent to carry
on the government, and that he was
powerless to maintain order. 1t was
J evident that chaos was impending, and
there was every probability that if
steps were not Immediately taken by
, this government to try to restore order
the representatives. of various Euro
) pean nations in the island would apply
: to their respective governments for
5 armed Intervention in order to protect
S the lives and property of their citizens.
Thanks to the preparedness of our
9 navy. 1 was able Immediately to
: send enough ships to Cuba to prevent
} the situation from becoming hopeless;
: and 1 furthermore dispatched to Cuba
the secretary of war and the assistant
: secretary of state, in order that they
might grapple with the situation on
the ground. All efforts to secure an
agreement between the contending fac
come to an amicable understanding
and settle upon some modus vivendi
some provisional government of their
, own-faied. Finally the president of
the republic resigned. The quorum of
Congress assembled failed by deliberate
purpose of it's members, so that there
was no power to act on his resigna-
tion, and the government came to a
halt. In accordance, with the so-called
Platt amendment. which was embod-
led in the constitution of Cuba, there
upon proclaimed a provisional govern
ment for the island the secretary of
war acting as provisional governor
until he could be replaced by Mr. Ma
goon, the late minister to Panama and
governor of the canal zone on the
Isthmus; troops were sent to support
them and to relieve the navy, the ex-
pedition being handled with most sat
isfactory speed and efficiency. The
insurgent chiefs Immediately agreed
that their troops should lay down their
arms and disband and the agreement
was carried out. The provisional gov
ernment has left the personnel of the
old government and the old laws, so
far as might be, unchanged, and will
thus administer the island for a few
months until tranquility can be re-
stored new election properly held,
and a new government inaugurated.
Peace has come in the island and the
harvesting of the sugar-cane crop. the
great crop of the island, is about to
proceed.
Wishes Prosperity for Island
When the election has been held and
the new government inaugurated In
peaceful and orderly fashion the pro-
visional government will come to an
end. l take this opportunity of ex-
pressing upon behalf of the American
people, with all possible solemnity. our
most earnest hope that the people of
Cuba will realize the imperative need
of preserving justice and keeping order
in the island. The United States
wishes nothing of Cuba except that II
shall prosper morally and materially.
and wishes nothing of the Cubans save
that they shall be able to preserve
order among themselves and therefore
to preserve their independence. II the
elections become a farce, and IL the
insurrectionary habit becomes con-
firmed in the island it Is absolutely out
of the question that the island should