The Washington herald., 1908-03-01
ASKS TREATY RIGHTS
Secretary Taft Pleads for
Protection to Aliens.
CANNOT KEEP OUR PROMISES
Federal Government Has No Control
Over states at Present, Says Cab
inet officer at Brooklyn Dinner.
Defends Roosevelt Administration
and Denies Powers Are Exceeded.

New York, Feb. 9a-Seeretary of WAR
william II. Taft addressed the Bar AS
soeiaticn OF Brooklyn this evening. at its
annual dinner. at the Union League Club
The Secretary chose 10 talk about the
Constitution.
lie was received with considerable en-
thusissm. and the mere fact that # was
noapartisan assemblage did not en-
tIrely rob the occasion Of political sig
nifcance. State Chairman Timothy l.
Woodruff. for example. made a speech. in
which he made very little attempt to
appear enthusiastic for the Presidential
candidacy of Gov. Hughes.
Mr.. Taft himself avoided any direct
reference to politics. though part Of his
address was an infcrential defense Of
some Of the Roosevelt policies. He said.
for example. that no attempt had been
made 10 stretch the powers Of the Con-
stituuon with reference TO Federal con
troll of State or interstate affairs. What
really had happened was that the charac-
ter of business activities had so greatly
altered as TO bring them automatically
within the scope of already existing con-
stitutionaI powers.
Wants Rights for Aliens.
The Secretary Of War made an earnest
plea for immediate Congressional action
empowering the Presidenttto use forces at
his command FOR the purpose of forcing,
il need be. the separate States to grant
10 aliens their treaty rights. rs con-
tended that at present the government
was in the humiliating position Of being
unable TO guarantee these rights if the
States saw fit to deny them. He cited the
japanese troubles in California and the
Italian murders in Louisiana as examples.
Referring to California's refusal 20
abide by the promises made by the Fed
eral government in the controversy grow
ing out Of the japanese riots, Taft said:
1T puts our government in the pusinani-
nous position of promising that subjects
of another country shall be properly
treated. and then Of having no means Of
carrying ont the promise. or Of Furnishing
those who violate It,
Unable to Protect Them.
Fancy the feelings Of Secretary of
State who is obliged to say to a, foreign
country: It is true. we agreed 10
protect your citizens as subiectssif they
came over here and conducted themselves
peaceably, but under our form of govern
ment and laws, while we made that prom
ise. and had a right 10 make it, we have
no means Of complying with it. All we
can do is 10 make a respectful presenta-
ton TO the State authorities, and ask
them, as a favor to us, to enforce the
law
IF Turkey or China were to make
such an excuse as that to Us for killing
or mobbing of our citizens in those
countries. should we not become justly
Indignant? We are in situation now
20 say TO our foreign friends whose, cit
liens may be assaulted or murederd in
violation of treaty obligations. we can
soOthe your feelings by paying out of the
government treasury for those lives. but
we cannot save them. We cannot punish
anybody for taking them "
Continuing. Taft said: II am not un-
mindful of the temptation TO extend by
construction the Federal power TO furnish
adequate remedies for abuses and evils
which the State governments have the
power TO suppress, but in respect to which
they show insufficiency of administration
and of the enforcement OF law / agree
that in SUCH cases there is danger that
the tribunal of last resort may lean
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