The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-02-23
Japanese Amazed
LOOK UPON THE IMMIGRATION
BILL As ADDING INSULT TO
INJURY.

Washington Dispatch to.the New York
Times.
The Japanese question has no been
settled ty the passage Of the immigra.
ton bill with It's left5handed provision
for coolle exclusion Ii develops that
the Japanese. instead of regarding
that LEGISLATION as a settlement Of the
issues In controversy, consider II to
fbe q step in the opposite direction. In
their view It but adds insult to the
injury of which they we're already COM
planning.
Its enactment was q deliberate per-
formance OF the very thing which the
government of Japan desired especial
ly not to have done. Moreover. the
provision of the immigration bill
which Is hailed throughout this couns
try as the way out of the difficulty is
regarded by the Japanese as being
but the foundation for new difficulties
which arc likely to be more grave than
the n 1t was designed to settle.
1t is evident that there has been a.
decided misunderstanding somewhere,
either on the part of the administra.
tion or of some Of the negotiators who
have hal to do with the arrangement
of the supposed means of settlement.
1t was accepted without question by
Congress that the provision which was,
proposed first by Secretary Root
would pave the way for subsequent
diplomatic efforts which would uiti.
mately bring about a complete under.
standing with Japan upon all points at
issue between the two countries.
There are two questions at issue.
one raised by the Japanese and the
other by the United States. The Jap:
anese consider that the school ques.
ton, raised by them because of the
San Francisco incident, is not of a
character to be settled on a basis of
quid pro quo. 1t involves a question.
of what they contend to be rights es.
tablished to them by treaty. On our
part 1t involves a construction of the
treaty. Japan is ready to take up the
matter OF that construction and. to con.
tend for her Interpretation of 1t, which
is that any action by any State tend
ing to segregate Japanese school chill.
dren. IN discrimination with the chill.
dren Of other alien residents, is an In.
yasion of the treaty rights Of the Jap
anese. The school question, therefore,
is one which in the Japanese view,
must BIO settled on It's own merits.
without Involvement with any other
matter. That, too, is the view of the
President.
The second issue raised by us is as
to the immigration into continental
United States of Japanese coolies and
laborers. In the view of the Japan
ese that is distinctly a question to be
settled on the basis OF a quid pro quo.
and not otherwise. They are unwil-
ling to have the school and immigra-
ton questions linked together in any
amer. They do not regard them as
susceptible of forming the basis Of any
exchange, and therefore have done
nothing whatever on the second issue,
while remaining firm in their position
on the first.
The official and semi-oficial utter
ance that have been made recently as
to the satisfaction with which they
would receive such action are not
borne out by what Is learned today.
concerning the attitude of the Japan:
ese, which Is that there must be no
discrimination of any sort against
their people. 1t makes no difference
to them in what the discrimination
consists. or what class Of their sub.
jects Is its object. Discrimination will
arouse their most vigorous protest
and involve their most vigorous &C.
ton.
BE- ETaaEg HI=FrA stIs-g ~