The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-04
CALIFORNIA FIRM
In JAP DISPUTE
Banner of States Rights to Be
Standard in Battle
to End.
SCENT DEEP PURPOSE
IN SCHOOL SQUABBLE
San Franciscans Declare Japan s
Peevishness Means
Bitter War. HI

San FRANCISCO, Dec, 4.-CallfOrnla is
rebellious, if not in state of rebel
lion. Standing on it's new problem, 0,
rather on the new phase of an Older
the banner of state rights and has de-
clared more strongly on the color CUES
ton than ever the south declared since
the recent unpleasantness.
California is not afraid of war. 81 II
wants no war with the rest of the
United States, but demands ssfriend
ly fight in the supreme court to de-
eide whether or not California shall
have the right to rule iself in local
matters and handle the color question
In its own way. ..s.~
Neither does California seek wal
with Japan. In fact, sCaEfornians
laugh at such an idea, but here on the
strip OF land which must stand the
brunt of the battering if ever Japan
and the United States 90 to war there
is no man who fears Japan.
School Board Is Firm. &.
"The school board of San Francisco
never will change it's attitude on the
school question: declared the superin.
tendent of schools, as he came from a
board meeting which had been discuss.
Ing the question.
President Roosevelt's requests, or
orders, will be ignored by us. The
Japanese must stay in their own school.
we are acting under a state law,
passed In 1872, before there ever was
any idea of this situation. If Presi.
dent Roosevelt or the federal congress
has any requests to make they must
make them of the California legisla-
ture. The legislature can change the
laws IN moment, but we cannot. If
the legislature of California refuses to
change the law we want and hope for
final decision of the case in the SUI
preme court of the United States.''
Japanese Are "ohesty."
eff California is to remain one of
the United States,' declared the com
missioner Of labor Of California, "then
1t must stop this invasion and settle the
question. Ii we do not settle the Jap
anese question soon our children will
other side of the sierras. The Japan
ese are .swarming into California at the
rate of over a thousand month
more arrogant, more chesty than any
equality. They want an aeinoWle WEDGE
ment of their superiority. - =
HAs commissioner of labor 7 realize
that the problem is an enormous one.
would no more think of driving out
al the .Japs today than L would think
OF letting them all come in. .This
problem must be handled sanely. Cali
fornia. needs labor, and, at the same
time, it faces the destruction and the
driving out of all the whites. The
whites will not amalgamate with the
Japs. There is tie problem.
Feeling surges High.
The feeling in San Francisco is high.
The city and parts Of the state are
to the administration IS stand in regard
to the school question in San Francisco.
The ninety-three orientals who have
under the old state law, been placed
by themselves in the oriental school
and segregated from the remainder Of
the public school children of this
wrecked city may prove the cause Of
one Of the most serious international
States and one which may cost her dear
it the views Of the Californians are
true.
The people Of San Francisco, its edu.
Gators, it's officials, it's politicians and
it's thinkers declare that Japan is not
at all interested in the question of the
ntnety-three segregated orientals, but
that the Japs are seeking to find cause
for a quarrel with the United States
and have chosen the, San Francisco
school situation as the bone over which
to pick quarrel and start war
:. 1t is openly stated that the Jap be-
lieves the quicker he strikes at Amer.
lea the better and that he is seeking
over a trivial question, which the school
board declares was the result not Of
any slight to Japan mol. Of any insult.
intended or otherwise either to Japan
or China, but as a direct result of the
and fire which destroyed the city, to
start war to decide quickly which
nation shall be the master of the Pa
cifc. ~
Resents Presidents Action.
Not only does California, especially
San Francisco, resent the attitude Of
Japan, but even more it resents the
apparent attitude of President Roose-
velt's administration. California is
rather a peculiar state. It is so far off
from all the rest of the United States
and has been 50 independent, SO rich. SO
big, and has developed SO rapidly that
it thinks it is quite big enough now to
decide. for itself. It resents imperial
federal interference, even as certain of
the southern states once resented it and
as, later Illinois resented it when fed
eTal troops were sent to Chicago.
The attitude Of the people is rather
odd. The labor unions are bitterly op-
posed to Japanese labor, for strictly
selfish reasons. The rest of the people
are opposed to the japanese because
they say Japan is getting "too fresh.''
In San Francisco it is great fun for
"kids" to "soak skipper" which
means to throw brick at Japanese.
Odd as it may seem, these same Cali
fornians whose fathers, when they were
small, stoned the Chinese in the streets,
now treat the Cinnamon with some re-
spect, and even regard him as an hon
hate and detest the "skippy."