The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-04
PRESIDENT
 FAV0RS LAPS
IN THEIR SCHOOL FIGHT WITH SAN
 FRANCISCO AUTHORITIES.
Californiann Assert They VIII Contest Goyernmentss Right To Intervene. Mr. Root Has Found Point
 Agahnat Them.
Washlngton speclaI to New York Her-


 Washington Special to New York Her.
 ald-
 Looming larger than ever, the Jap- ense question overshadows most of the other problems before Washington. This | is saving much at time when race | questions have excited the different na- i tionaIities of the American people to | the verge of violence and when the pur- | suit of trusts and the hunting down of erring millionaires have reached stage when the curtain can be expected any day to go up on setting or tremen- | dous human interest.
 In the Japanese question the Presi- | dent has before him race problem | quite as important as that which has been famed by Senator Tillman and others into white heat over the rela- | tions between the whites and the blacks. But he has more. He has plac- ! ed before him for solution an interna- tfonal matter which reaches round the world; which touches the relations of the United States with Japan and with less marked degree affects the trade with Corea and Manchuria. and inci- dentaIly may in time reach the peaca- full community of interest in the Pacific surrounding the Hawaiian Islands and tho Philippines. Coming more nearly nome 1t involves in concrete form the question Of the power of the Federal government to step in and regulate the affairs of State when the manner in which the affairs of the State are ad- ministered conflicts with the foreign policy of the government or the treaty rights of friendly foreign power.
 Since the return of President Roose- velt from Panama the Japanese dispute, which was perplexing before, has be- come acute. No one would be surprised to see Mir. Roosevelt bring the whole l nf uf an early day. The position of the ease today is that the Japanese have pro- tested to this country as Federal government against the practice Of the State of California in refusing the Japanese access to the public schools where white children are taught They insist that under the treaty of 1894, try equal rights, Japanese youths and young men who have come to this coun- try and who are intensely eager for
 knowledge from the American stand point shall be admitted with white | children to the primary and secondary and other classes in the schools of Cal- 1 ifornia. The President has promised them redress and Secretary Root has made the point that under the treaty of 1894, the Japanese have the same rights in the public schools of Califor- mia as the children Of California have. He has also sent cable message to To- lSio promising them the treatment acc corded the people of the most friendly European nation. The children of Eu-
 ropeans, are, of course, given access to 1 the California schools
 On the head of this comes Mir. Met- l calf, Secretary of Commerce and Labor, who was despatched to California when the President took his trip South, with | the official information that the gov ernment cannot make this promise. At least, says Secretary Metcaif, the gov | ernment cannot do 1t without perhaps using the strong arm and the United States navy for the purpose of coereing | the people of California In the mean [ time Secretary Root has studied the | question and has brought to light de- cisions in favor of the contention being made by himself and the President f which had long been forgotten and which have never been applied in Amer | ican diplomacy.
 ] If the contention of Secretary Root
 be adopted as the policy or the gov I ernment and Of Congress and be sus- | tained by the courts, we are on the verge of new departure in American | diplomacy and are about. In the in- | terests of the Japanese, to reverse the | dc ctrine of a century of diplomacy. m | other words, rights which the States have successfully asserted are to be
 
 ment is to become supreme even to the question of the regulations by , school boards and other local bodies.
 That there is a strong prejudice against the Japanese on the Paclnc coast is admitted. The Japanese have begun a grand movement eastward to- ward the mainland of America. similar to that which began several years be- fore the Spanish war toward Hawaii, and which at one time threatened trcu- ble between this country and the Flow cry Kingdom Veterans of the late war with Russia are seeking homes In America. Young men who have heard much of the opportunities in the Uni ted States are turning their adventur- ous eyes eastward. They have already arrived in large numbers in the Pacific States. They are eager to learn Amer ican ways and American methods. and they believe that the first step is to get an American education. They want, therefore, the advantages of the pri- mary schools, to ground themselves and later the advantages of the higher grades.
 Chased With Chinamen.
 Here Is chere the difiiculty comes in. California trades unions having had one experience with movement of great proportions from the Orient look ask ance at this considerable movement from across the sea. They do not re- gard the "Jap" as a social equal. They look upon him very much as they look on the Chinaman. For many years they have maintained separate schools for the Chinese. When me Japanese demands access to the white schools he Is turned away to the Chinese schools. This lnjures the Japanesa pride. because he looks down upon the Chinese as an inferior race, just as in some parts of this country the white man looks down upon the negro.
 About the time the dispute between