Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-03
SETTLE IT RIGHT

SETTLE III RIGHT
The only city in the United states that
seems to be spelling for a fight" with
Japan is the one that surely would be
peppered first by bombs in case OF
war. San Francisco, or rather the
bellicose element Of its population, is
yearnlng for trouble. It would seem
to a sane mind that ever the most
ardent San Francisco belligerents had
experienced a suficiency of trouble
within a year, but they appear to be as
full Of fight as a bantam rooster.
Recognizing the gravity Of the inter-
national question raised in San Fran
cisco, President Roosevelt is making
strenuous efforts to cool the fighting
blood that is boiling in that city. With
California representatives i'm congress,
making sufficient headway to Justify a
homcward dispatch from them to the
effect that "the character of the discus
sion leads us to feel confident that a
solution will he reached satisfactory to
all concerned"
But the San Francisco board Of edu-
cation intimates that its jvoice is still
for war" The California congressman
telegraphed a request for the president
of that board and the superintendent of
schools to come to Washington at once
for consultation. Members of the school
board are en- route i'm response to the
call, but a dispatch from San Francisco
termincd not to accept any compro-
mise in the matter Of japanese attend
ing public schools other than those set
aside for orientals.'
And so there is a possibility that the
United States may be embroiled i'm a
war with Japan ostensibly because the
San Francisco school board is not will
ing to admit Japanese children into the
schools on terms of equality with juve-
nile Germans, English, Italians. Rus
slams and other children of foreign par
entage. Such distinction has engen-
dered a feeling of resentment in Japan.
The Japanese government offers no OBJ
lection to the segregation of children
of that country if other foreign young
sters be treated similarly, and, while
the Japanese treaty with the United
States calls for the treatment of the
subjects of either signatory in the do
main of the other one on a level with
subjects of the most favored nation,
the state of California holds the power
to regulate its own school system.
But the whole truth of the matter
is that Japan seems to be as bumptious
as San Francisco and is fairly aching
for a fight; and it may be true that
the school question has been seized
upon by the japanese government as a
mere incident wherewith to impress
Uncle Sam with it's greatness. Viewed
from that standpoint the American peo-
pie will require of the president that
he yield to no demand that will reflect
upon the Integrity Of the American gov
ernment The people of this country
favor the peaceful solution of all public
questions whenever it is possible to
solve them thus with honor. But no.
body has ever yet accused Uncle Sam
of cowardice. He has fought before
and he can fight again, but he isn't
going to var owe: trivialties, or to
oblige a foreign nation fled up with
its own vanity.
The right of San Francisco to man.
age it's school affairs in it's own way,
subject only to the laws of California,
cannot be successfully disputed, and
the president will make a mistake if
he urges the withdrawal of the case
from the local courts. one such act of
acquiescence will lead to still greater
demands, and there is a growing feeling
that the japanese question might just
as well be settled now, when it can be
settled right.
In the meantime it is the manifest
duty of the government not only to
hasten the fortitcations and defenses
in Hawaii but to act with equal dill
gence in the proper fortifying of the
Southern Pacific coast and the trans
fer of a large share of the navy to Pa
cific waters.