The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-14

After vast amoant Of war talk and
labor agitation, the international and do
aestic problem involved in the discrimina-
Ition against japanese on the Pacific
Coast is 10 be adjusted in a manner appar-
emily satisfactory to everybody concerned.
/ To Secretary Root and Senator Lodge Is
iattributed the chief credit for the sugges-
tion. Of which The Herald told yesterday
morning. that the danger threatened
through the great immigration of Japan
ese subjects 10 the United States could be
laverted by simple amendment to the
lpending immigration bill. vesting the Pres
/ ident with authority 70 forbid japanese
subjects or citizens OF any country 10 en-
ter the continental limits OF the United
States whenever their presence may be-
come a "detriment 10 labor conditions"
The amendment was agreed to by the con
ferees Of the Senate and House on the
4 immigration bill and was reported to
/ both bodies. While it's amendment is
construed 10 be new legislation. and
therefore not properly within the su-
/ thority Of conference committee to pro
pose. the desire for an adjustment Of the
japanese difficulty IS so strong in Con
sress that Il Is not likely that point Of
order viii be made against IT,
| Mayor Schmitz and the members Of the
san Francisco school board. who are here
at President Roosevelts invitation to as
sist in the effort 10 dispose Of the threat
/ ened differences with Japan. are satisfied
with the solution provided for by the
/ amendment. they had another confer
ence with President Roosevelt and Sec
retary Root, and some of them afterward
/ expressed themselves as delighted with
/ the outcome of the natter Il is their
/ expectation that a complete agreement on
! the school question viii Doe reached with
the President at a conference to ne held
/ on Friday. While the school board may
/ not rescind its order providing for the
/ segregation Of japanese and white pupils
which has given offense to the people Of
! Japan, Il will AT least modify It. If Japan
/ insists. 70 the extent of permitting Jap
| anese I'D 10 q certain age to attend the
white schools. This X IS declared. viii be
satisfactory TO the United States govern
ment and probably to Japan
California Delegation Pleased.
! The California delegation in Congress
/ is pleased over the proposed solution,
1 although there is some murmuring that
! the amendment leaves 1t 20 the Presi-
/ dent 10 determine whether japanese shall
/ be prohibited from entering the United
/ States, and does not make it binding on
/ him 10 do so But it is contended that
any binding legislation would necessarily
/ have 10 provide specifically for exclusion
OF japanese and this might be regarded
/ by Japan as discrimination against her
subjects, and not against the subjects of
any other country.
! The amendment as reported to the Sen
ate by the immigration bill confcrees
does not specifically mention Japanese.
I but provides that the exclusion shall be
/ confined 10 citizens of ANY foreign gov
ernment which issues passports 10 its
citizens 10 60 TO any other country than
/ the United States or 10 any OF the posses
sions Of the United States. including the
Canal Zone No japanese subject can
leave japan without a passport, but the
Japanese government does not issue pass
ports for its subjects TO come TO COnti-
mental United States. 1t does. however.
! issue passports for Hawaii and other
! American possessions, and the japanese
who are fockins to the Pacific Coast are
! using these passports to enable them TO
get to Hawaii and the other possessions.
whence they come to the United States.
| The proposed amendment viii permit the
/ President 10 prohibit japanese from en-
/ tering the United States-that is, this con-
! tinent-from Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, or.
/ in fact, any foreign country or outlying
! American possession. This is the text Of
( the amendment:
That whenever the President shall be
/ satisfied that passports issued by any for
/ eign government to its citizens to go 20
any country other than the United States,
or to any insuIaT possession Of the United
States. or TO the Canal Zone. are being
used for the purpose OF enabling the hold
1 ers to come 20 the continental territory
of the United States, to the detriment Of
labor conditions therein, the President
may refuse to permit such citizens Of the
country issuing such passports TO enter
/ the continental territory of the United
States from such other country. or from
such insular possessions, or from t5s
Canal Zone.
CabIed to Tokyo.
The text of the proposed amendment
has been cabled to Tokyo, where an effort
probably is being made 70 obtain an
understanding with the japanese govern
ment that it viii be satisfactory TO that
government if the segregation of jap
| anese pupils from white pupils in San
Francisco schools is discontinued. A
formal agreement OF some sort with
| Japan, under which the emigration of
japanese subjects to American posses
! sions will be restricted. probably viii be
an outcome of the amendment pending
before Congress There is no reason to
suppose that Japan will be dissatisfied
with the turn things have taken. She
does not want her subjects to flock 10
the United States. She prefers that they
/ go to Manchuria and Korea. There is no
objection to japanese in Hawaii In fact,
/ they are welcomed there on account of
/ their ability as agricultural labOreTs. II
/ is not proposed to stop them from emf
| grating to Hawaii. but the President viii
! have the power. under the amendment to
the immigration law, to stop them from
! coming to the United States.
Before the Friday conference. the Presi-
dent will have conferences with Senator
Aldrich Senator Lodge. Speaker Cannon.
and other leaders. and hopes that these
will be so satisfactory that when Mayor
Schmitz and his associates next call az
the White House he will be able TO give
them assurances that the amendment will