Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-19
DEBIT AND GRE DIT
Of the Japanese-C aIifornia Ac-
count.
CONTENTION OF JAPAN
Has Been Won From the United
States.
EXCLUSION OF LABORERS
Rests Entirely in the Hands of the
President-An International
Crisis Avoided.

Now that it's all over-apparently-th
statesmen on Capitol Hill are beginning to
cast up the debit and credit sides of the
Japanese-California account, as balanced by
the latest entry, the exclusion proviso of
the immigration BILL There is great deal
of cloak-room talk not susceptible of re-
production in quotation marks and the first
person singular, but which nevertheless
voices the general sentiment of even the
men who helped to put through the legisia-
ton.
1t is the truth today that the majority
opinion is that the legislation is of doubtful
efficacy, for the practical uses of the future,
and of equally doubtful equity. Then why
was it enacted? Simply because President
Roosevelt wanted it and deemed it wise, as
the only reief-not an ultimate solution
for an existing difficult, if not perlous, sit
uation. In that view, the republicans passed
1t without a word of comment, and demo-
Gratis acquiesced under protest, placing full
responsibility for the future upon the ad-
miniStration.
The one fact which stands out clear and
distinct, above all others, is that Japan has
won the main point of her contention, name
ly, that she has forced the United States,
through it's executive and it's Congress, to
admit in terms beyond cavil that japanese
subjects are the social, mental and moral
equal of citizens of the United States and
Furthermore that the United States recog-
niZes them the equal of citizens of any
other nation on earth.
What Japan Was Driving At.
That, after all, is what Japan was driving
at. This was a point of national pride, the
core of the controversy, and Japan has
scored complete victory. The Asatic is
the equal of the Caucasian. That assertion
established as fact. future negotiations
will take care of themselves
1t is said by statesmen that Japan does
not care about the handful of children in
the San Francisco public schools; there are
only ninety-three of them in the whole
school system. Japan does not care a whit
for the provision excluding her coolies, Of,
in fact, Ii does exclude, upon which there
is division of opinion. 1t is well known that
Japan wants to keep her hardy laboring
men at home, to populate Korea and Man
churia and to raise another generation of
fighting men. So intent is she upon that
plan that Japanese subjects may not de-
part the country without passports from
the government.
The japanese subjects who are now in
this country will, it is claimed, return to
the fatherland soon as may be, equipped
with valuable knowledge of western indus
tries. civilization and arts, and with a snug
sum of western gold. to foster the indus
tries of their own land and ultimately COM
pete with the Yankees. Their stay In this
far land is but a period of apprenticeship
at observation and study. There is not an
American warship that has not a vigilant,
alert young Japanese steward aboard, who
wins commentator by his intelligence. Not
long ago when Japanese minister of
finance visited Canada he was recognized
as an unassuming little Jap who year or
two previously had kept small cigar shop
In Montreal while he studied the Canadian
system of finance.
What She Has Won
The Statesmen on the hill say that
Japan does not object to her coolie labor
being subject to exclusion, because she has
no surplus Of population as China has and
needs all her men at home. But Japan does
insist and has won the right to further in:
sist, that ell her subjects who are in the