The Washington herald., 1906-12-05

| discreditable tc US rs a people, and il
may be fraught with the gravest conse-
quences to the nation. The friendship
/ between the United States and Japan
/ has been continuous since the time, over
/ half a century ago. when Commodore Per
ry. by his expedition to Japan. first
| opened the islands TO Western civiliza-
ton Since then the growth Of Japan has
/ been literally astounding There is not
only nothing 10 parallel It. but nothing
/ TO approach il in the history OF civilized
mankind. Japan has a glorious and an
| cient past Her civilization Is older than
| that OF the nations of Northern Europe
1 the nations from whom the people Of the
1 United States have chiefly sprung But
/ fifty years ago Japan's development was
still that Of the Middle Ages. During that
| fifty years the progress Of the country in
every walk in life has been marvel TO
mankind. and she now stands as one of
the greatest OF civilized nations; great IN
the arts Of war and in the arts Of peace:
! great in military. in industrial, In artistic
| development and achievement. japanese
| soldiers and sailors have shown them
/ selves equal in combat to any Of whom
/ history makes note She has produced
| great generals and mighty admiraIs; her
| fighting men, afiOat and ashore, show all
! the heroic courage, the unquestioning. un-
/ faltering loyalty. the splendid indlffer
| ence to hardship and death, which marked
/ the Loyal Ronins; and they show also
| that they possess the highest ideal of
patriotism. japanese artists Of every
| kind see their products eagerly sought for
| in all lands. The industrial and CONNER
/ cial development Of Japan has been phe-
| nOmenal: greater than that OF any other
! country during the same period. At the
/ same time the advance in science and
| philosophy Is no less marked The ad-
mirable management OF the japanese Red
| Cross during the late war, the efficiency
| anG humanity Of the Japanese officials,
1 nurses, and doctors, won the respectful
/ admiration Of all acquainted with the facts
i Through the Red Cross the japanese
people sent over $4,000 To the sufferers
/ Of San Francisco. and the gift was ac-
! cepted with gratitude by our people The
/ courtesy Of the japanese, nationally and
/ individually. has become prOverbial. To
no other country has there been such an
/ increasing number of visitors from this
/ land as 10 Japan. IN return. japanese
/ have come here in great numbers. They
are welcome, socially and intellectually,
/ in all our colleges and institutions Of
| higher learning. IN all our professional
| and social bodies. The japanese have
won IN a single generation the right to
I
! enlightened peoples Of Europe and Amer
/ lea; they have won on their own merits,
and by their own exertions, the right 20
treatment on a basis Of fun and frank
equality. The overwhelming mass Of our
| people cherish lively regard and respect
! for the people Of japan, and In almost
every quarter Of the Union the stranger
/ from Japan is treated as he deserves;
that is, he is treated as the stranger from
any part Of civilized Europe is. and de-
serves 20 be treated. But here and there
a most unworthy feeling has manifested
itself toward the Japanese-the feeling
that has been shown IN shutting them
out from the common schools In San
Francisco and in mutterings against
them In one or two other places, because
Of their efficiency AS workers. To shut
them out from the public schools IS
wicked absurdity, when there are no
first-class colleges In the land including
the universities and colleges Of California,
which do not gladly welcome japanese
students and on which japanese students
do not reflect credit. We have as much
to learn from Japan as Japan has 10
learn from US, and no nation is NJ to
teach unless st Is also willing 20 learn.
Throughout japan Americans are wei!
treated. and any failure on the part 4
Americans at home 20 treat the japanese
with Ike courtesy and consideration IS
by just so much a confession OF inferiOrity
IN our civilization
Our nation fronts on the Pacific. just as
10 fronts on the Atlantic We hope 10
play constantly growing part In the
great ocean Of the Orient We wish. as
we ought to wish. for "A great commercial
development In our dealings with Asia;
and It IS out Of the question that we
ment unless we freely and gladly extend
TO other nations the same measure Of jus
tice and good treatment which we expect
to receive IN return. II is only a very
small body Of our citizens that act badly.
Where the Federal government has power
II vii. deal summarilv with any such.
Where the several States have power I
earnestly ask that they also deal wisely
and promptly with such conduct or else
this small body Of wrongdOers may bring
shame upon the great mass of their in
nOcent and right-thinking fellows-that
is upon our nation as whole Good
manners should be an international. no
less than an individual attribute. I ask
fair treatment for the Japanese, as I
would ask fair treatment for Germans or
Englishmen, Frenchmen. Russians. or
Italians / ask it as due 20 humanity
and civilization. I ask il as due to our
selves because we must act uprightly TO-
ward all men.
I recommended to the Congress that an
act be passed specifically providing for she
naturalization Of japanese who come here
intending 10 become American citizens
One Of the great embaTTassTnents attend
ing the performance Of our international
obligations is the fact that the Statutes
of the United States are entirely made
TIL
government sufficiently ample power
through United 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. I therefore earnestly recommend
that the criminal aud 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 relations
10 enforce the rights of aliens under
treaties. Even as the law now is some
thing can be done by the Federal gov
ernment toward this end, and in the mat
ter now before Ine affecting the japanese
everything that it is in my power to do
viii be done, and all Of the forces. mill
tary and civil, of the United States which
I may lawfully employ will be so en-
plOyed. There should, however, be no
particle Of doubt as 70 the power Of the
national government completely to per-
form 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 foreigners
which would plunge us into war. That
city by itself would be powerless 10 make
defense against the foreign power thus
assaulted, and IT, Independent Of this gov
ernment, it would never venture to per-
form or permit the performance Of the
acts complained Of 1ne entire power
and the whole duty to protect the Offend
a - L.