The Irish standard., 1907-02-09
THE JAPANESE QUESTION.


less. The Japanese now feel very inn
portnnt Us Il nation because of their
easy victory over Russia. Perhaps,
they think they could selze the Phil
ippino Islands without very much
trouble. Our possessions in the East
furnish tle Weak spot in our defense
but the Japanese have no cause for
war; 1t is assumed in this country
that their grievances over the San
Francisco school incident arises ou. OF
treaty rights violated. This is mis-
take. The Gresham kurino treaty
adopted in 1894 went into effect in 1899
for Il period of twelve years. 1t Sc
cures To Japanese subjects the right
to enter this country and reside llere-
i'll, to travel, to be secure in their
persons and property, to sue and BE-
sued in our courts, to religious free
dom and to burial according to Jap
ancse customs. Not Il word Is con-
tanned in the treaty about the right
to attend any public schools or other
educational Institutions. The treaty
sets out specifically what rights the
Japanese shall enjoy. The Japanese
do not themselves claim that there is
any specific grant in this treaty to
attend public schools. They complain
because the subjects of other nations
like France, Germany and Italy, who
arc here under the same kind OF
treaty, are permitted to attend public
schools. 1t is true that tho children
OF Foreigners are permitted to attend
public schools in all states, but It
seems that this provision is a favor
not u right that these foreign subjects
could cnforc',.
The Japar csc have been allowed to
attend public schools throughout the
United States. The only city that has
refused this right is San Francisco.
Not only have the Japanese been all
lowed to attend the public schools
but they have been allowed to enter
'hc higher institutions of learning in
this country. They have attended the
naval academy at Annapolis and the
military academy at West Point. Rep
rcsentatives of their race have sradu-
ated from Harvard, Yale, Pennsyl
vania and Michigan.
The Japanese should not forget the
many privileges that have been cx-
tended to them. They should not con-
strue those privileges into rights. They
will hardly conclude to commence war
or TO even enter into unfriendly rela-
tiuns With the United States because
of the action of the school board OF
San Francisco, which was strictly
within its rights when it denied the
right OF foreigners to attend the pub
lie schools. San Francisco could pre-
vent children Of German subjects from
attending the schools if it saw fit.
The action of the Japanese in ref
erence to the San Francisco matter
is absurd and impuueut. 1t has suf-
feed to attract attention to the race
question on the Pacific coast 1t will
result in more stringent laws against
Japanese coolies. 1t will acccntuate
the race hatred that already exists
on the Pacific coast against Oriental
people. The attitude Of the Japanese
is a good deal like the attitude of the
negro when he demands something
more than the rights of citizenship
such as social equality. The Japanese
might as we'll complain that they are
not invited to the high social func-
tions in San Francisco as to complain
because their children are denied the
right to enter the public schools. They
are not citizens OF the United States,
nor of the state OF California. They
have no rights in that state. outside
of the privileges granted to them un.
der treaty with the United States. gov
ernmcnt. Those treaty rights do not
interfere with the rights OF the state
and if they did it would be a serious
question AS to whether they could be
enforced under our laws.