The Mena weekly star., 1906-12-20


 on the Score of Age = Mikado's
 Subjects Must be Protected From
 Violence at all Cost.
 Washington. Dec. 19.-The presi- dent Tuesday sent to congress a spe- clal message transmitting the report of Secretary Metcalf on the results of his investigation of the Japanese question at San Francisco. Follow ing is the communication of the pres ident.
 To the Senate and House of Repre-
 sentatives:
 l enclose herewith for your inform ation the final report made to me per sonally by Secretary Metcalf on the situation affecting the Japanese in San Francisco. The report deals with three matters of controversy first, the exclusion of the Japanese children from the San Francisco schools; second, the boycotting of Japanese restaurants, and, third, acts of violence committed against the Japanese
 As to the first matter, I call your especial attention to the very small number of Japanese children who at. tend school, to the testimony as to the brightness, cleanliness, and good 1 behavior of these Japanese children in the schools, and to the fact that. owing to their being scattered throughout the city, the requirement. for them all to go to one special school is impossible of fulfilment and means that they can not have school facilities. Let me point out further that there would be no objection whatever to excluding from the schools any Japanese on the score of age. It is obviously not desirable that young men should go to school with children. The only point fs the exclusion of the children themselves. The number of Japanese children at tending the public schools in San Francisco was very small The gov ernment has already directed that suit be brought to test the constitu- tionality of the act in question; but my very earnest hope is that such suit will not be necessary. and that as a matter of comity the citizens of San Francisco will refuse to deprive these young Japanese children of education and will permit them to go to the schools.
 The question as to the violence against the Japanese is most admir- ably put up by Secretary Metcalf, and I have nothing to add to his statement. I am entirely confident that. as Secretary Metcalf says, the overwhelming sentiment of the state of California is for law and order and for the protection of the Japanese in their persons and property. Both the chief of police and the acting mayor of San Francisco assured Sec retary Metcalf that everything pos sible would be done to protect the Japanese in the city. l authorized and directed Secretary Metcalf to state that If there was failure to pro tect persons and property, then the entire power of the federal govern ment within the limits of the consti- tuition would be used promptly and vigorously to enforce the observance of our treaty, the supreme law of the land, which treaty guaranteed to Japanese resident everywhere in the Union full and perfect protection for their persons and property; and to this end everything in my power would be done. and all the forces of the United States, both civil and military, which could lawfully em ploy. would be employed. call especial attention to the concluding sentence of Secretary Metcalf's re port of November 26. 1906.
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
 The concluding sentence of Secre- tary Metcalf's report, to which the president refers is as follows:
 "All considerations which may move nation. every consideration of duty in the preservation of our treaty obligations. every considera- ton prompted by 50 years or more of close friendship with the Empire of Japan. would unite in demanding, it seems to me, of the United States government and all its people. the fullest protection and the highest con eidarotiop for the suhiects af .Tanan"