The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-12

The satisfactory condition OF the nego-
tiations between Mayor Schmitz and the
San Francisco school board on the one
hand aud President Roosevelt and Secre-
| tary Root on the other, for an adjust
ment Of the differences arising out Of the
discrimination against japanese attend
ing the San Francisco public schools, is
/ being complicated by agitators on the
/ Pacific Coast. who are ombarding
Schmitz and his associates with disquiet-
ing telegrams. The substance Of these
kilograms is:
Unless you gain everything before YOU
concede anything. you might as well stay
away from San Francisco"
Schmitz and the school board are wor-
ried. and while they have reason TO be-
lieve the trouble can be settled in q way
that viii be satisfactory TO the sentiment
Of the Coast, they are afraid 70 make ans
move that on the face OF il viii not appear
TO be a complete victory fOr themselves
Another conference between the Presi-
dent. Secretary Root, and the san Fran
cisco delegation was held AZ the White
| House yesterday afternoon. but # was
not conclusive. and there Will be a third
and probably more conferences.
Want Positive Assurances.
Mayor Schmitz AMI the school board
laid before the President proposition
that assurances be given them in writing
that If the prohibition against JaPanese
attending white schools in san Francisco
should be removed. The Federal govern
ment will secure the enactment OF legiS-
11ft
japanese coolies shall be excluded from
admission 10 the United States
Such formal assurance in black and
white the President was unable. even II
he We're willing. to give, for the reason
that the exclusion arrangement can DE
provided only through the consent Of ia
pan or the approval Of Congress. and
the administration has no authority tu
pledge either the japanese government
or Congress on this proposition.
The whole point at issue is involved iu-
the unWiliiRgness OF the san Francisco
delegation. hampered by virtual threats
from Pacific Coast agitators. 10 make
any concessions on the school question
unless il is given a positive pledge that
japanese coolies viii not De permitted to
enter the United States. On Saturday
the delegation was apparently willing tn
listen favoraby to tie assurances of
the President that the outlook was excel
lent for obtaining the consent Of Japan
20 exclusion negotiations. but since then
the agitstors have frightened Mayor
Schmitz and his companions into a state
of hesitation.
Seek TO Pave Way for Treaty.
The Washington government Is anxious
10 pave the way for an exclusion treaty
with Japan by having the school board
lrescind its regulation segreeating Japa-
nese pupils from white pupils With this
as a basis it can. it believes. negotiate
Ia very satisfactory convention that will.
either directly or through provision for
Legislative enactment, bar out japanese
Ilaborers in the same manner that Chinese
Ilaborers are now barred from this
country.
But the representatives of san Fran
cisco's municipal government and board
OF education fear TO make the concessions
asked prior to having the certainty before
them in documentary form that exclusion
viii be obtained. That was the situation
when they left the White House yesteT-
day After they had gone President
Roosevelt and Secretary Root went out
for walk to talk over the embarrassing
aspect which the negotiations have as
sumed.
In well-informed circles, il is declared
that there will be every prospect OF an
agreement with Japan for the exclusion
Of her coolies from the United States
But the Japanese. IL is maintained. are
proud people and they believe that the re-
stTictiOnS against japanese scholars in
the San Francisco schools should be re-
moved before the exclusion arrangement
IS perfected. This is apparently what
the President and Secretary Root are
endeavoring to make the San Francisco
delegation understand
Talk of Rejection.
There is lot of talk heard here to the
effect that any treaty with Japan which
viii permit that government 10 exclude
American laborers from japanese terri
tory will be rejected by the Senate and
lby the courts. on the ground that it IS
Unconstitutional in providing for discrimi-
Ination against certain class of American
lcitizens.
Plan Another Conference
The next conference between the visi-
tors from San Francisco and the PresI-
dent will probably not be until Thursday
or Friday. On Saturday the mayor and
the board Of education presented their
views to President Roosevelt, and the
President did the same for the visitors
1t was all very general, and nothing def
mite was decided. By Thursday or Fri
day when the next meeting viii prob
ably be held. the President will have had
an opportunity TO discuss the affair with
the Cabinet, which meets to-day. and
with his various legal advisers, who viii
naturally enter into the situation to some
extent
While the San Francisco delegation has
asked for q promise of exclusion Of Jap
anese in return for their giving way on
Il the school question, which they really
don't care much about, nor does any one
in San Francisco. that fact does not mean
that anything OF the nature of an ulti-
matum has been given. The members OF
the delegation declare that their minds
are still wide open on the question and
that in a pinch where the welfare of the
country IS at stake they viii meet the
wishes of President Roosevelt. Inas-
much as the President viii probably
convince the school board that their al
titude on the school question does ma
iterialiy affect the country at large be-
cause Il blocks a new treaty, the result
does not seem in doubt,