The San Francisco call., 1907-03-10
EXCLUSION Of
JAPANESE NOT
A CERTAINTY
President Struggling With
Problem of Enforcing
Amendment
INVESTIGATION FIRST
Fact That Coolies Menace
American Labor Must
Be Established
CONFERS WITH TOXIC
Scope of Proposed Treaty
Is Being Considered
With Mikado
By Ira E. Bennett

WASHINGTON. March o.
Preliminary negotiations are on foot it
is understood. between Secretary Root
and ambassador Aok for the purpose
of ascertaining the views of the two
Governments as to the scope of the pro-
posed exclusion treaty. The difficult
ties which confront the administration
in this matter are admittedly great and
it is apparent that the negotiations are
still In the nebulous state.
Secretary Root has advised several
Senators interested In the subject that
he has no doubt that an understanding
may be reached for the mutual exclu-
sion Of laborers. although, of course,
the treaty will not provide in terms for
the exclusion of American laborers
from Japan. This Government could
not properly negotiate treaty attempt
ing to draw distinctions between. classes
of American citizens and enough has
been learned of the temper of the
Senate to make it certain that such
treaty would not be ratified.
It is Secretary Roots belief. how
ever. that the right Of Japan to ex-
clude any persons that 1t sees fit may
be recognized without specifying or i'm
plying that the discrimination shall
apply only to laborers. The real diff-
Guilty. it is said, is the task of so fram-
ing the treaty as TO make effective the
exclusion OF Japanese laborers without
appearing TO place them on a plane
with Chinese laborers.
The first principle insisted upon by
japan as a basis of negotiation is that
the contracting parties shall be equal
With this principle In view. it is con-
ceded that negotiations designed to ex-
clude Japanese as undesirable immi-
grants will call for extremely delicate
diplomacy Pending the treaty negoti-
ations the President will order an in
vestigation of the Japanese labor stu
alton in California and Hawaii.
Today it is intimated that no steps
will be taken TO enforce the exclusion
amendment unless the investigation
discloses that the Japanese are a men
ace to Ia Dor conditions on the coast
and that Japan will be advised before
hand of any steps to be taken.
The administration is watching with
keen interest the trend of events in
Japan. The announcement that the
Japanese Cabinet and the elder states
men had decided that no passports
should be issued directly to the Ameri-
can mainland is proof. of course, that
Japan is carrying out in good faith
the understanding reached some weeks
ago as to the exclusion of coolies who
do not present direct passports
The administration is concerned how
ever. over the strong protests in Japan
and Hawaii against the exclusion
amendment and is wondering how the
Toxic Government will meet them.
A cable today reporting that Foreign
Minister Hayashi had been interpellat-
ed as to representations that Japanese
had been suffering humiliation at the
hands OF the Americans" aroused in
tense interest Embassador Wright is
keeping the President informed of the
state of public feeling in the island
empire and the cautious moves here
indicate that the administration re-
CARDS the situation in Japan as
strained.
The administration is not at all
pleased with the attitude of the Cali
fornia Legislature in bringing the
Japanese question to the front. The
feeling here is that every act or word
OF antagonism TO the japanese is
stumbling block TO satisfactory nego-
tiations with Toxic because of the re-
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