The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-01-11
.P|UzzLE TO ..OFF|CIALS
Washington Unable to Account
I for European War ar Talk.
NO FRICTION WITH JAPANESE
Negotiations Looking to Exclusion Of
CooIie Labor From the United
States Progressing Smoothly To.
ward Ultimate Agreement.

9s waTu ultimate agreement.
Washington, Jan. Considering
the sn1oothness with which exchanges
are progressing between America and
Japan relative to the adjustment of
questions growing out of the immigra-
ton of Japanese laborers into the
United States the officials Of the state
department are puzzled to account for
the publication in various foreign cap
itals as well as in this country of re-
ports calculated to convey the impress
sion that there is serious friction be.
tween the two countries over this sub
ject. The latest of these reports, that
the Japanese foreign Office is reluc.
tant to aecede to a demand" of Am
bassador O'Brien that an agreement to-
restrict Japanese coolie immigration
into the United States be reduced to
writing, meets with unqualified contra
dictiOn at the state department.. Mr..
O'Brien is merely aiding Japanese
officials to perfect internal regula-
lions that will serve to stop the in
discriminate immigration evil. He is
not expected to negotiate any treaty
with Japan on this subject, or even to
secure a modus vivendi or anything in
the nature of the written agreement
referred to in some of the press dis.
patches. He has, under instructions
from the state department, acquainted
the Japanese government with = tie
fact that the. measures adopted in
Japan last spring, following the under
taking of the Japanese government to
restrict undesirable immigration to
the United States by careful regula-
ton of the issue of pass ports, have, =
-" Proved Utterly Ineffective. q 1t1f
The Japanese officials were surprised
at the figures presented by Mr..
O'Brien, illustrating not only the con-
tinuance of the coolie immigration
into America but it's startling increase,
even after the adoption of the .Japa-.
nese restrictive policy. Therefore
these Japanese officials have been en-
deavoring to frame regulations that
shall be effective and in the course of
that effort they have naturally COM
municated freely with the American
ambassador. The latter has acquaint-
ed the state department with the ma
ture of the proposed restrictive meas.
ures and the department in turn has
not hesitated to suggest amendments
to the project based on the expert.
ence of the immigration inspectors
and collectors of customs in this
country. This involved the co-opera-
ton of the department of state and
the department of commerce and la
bor,- the latter being directly charged
with the enforcement of the exclusion
laws. There is pending before the.
Washington officials a long report by
cable from Mr.. O'Brien covering the
latest phase of the Japanese project.
The officials are carefully considering
this and will not hesitate to Indicate
how it may be improved if that is pos
sible, notwithstanding the fact that
the ambassador has expressed the be-
lief that the plan proposed is salts
factory. Should the department coin
eide in this view it is stated that it
will only be necessary for Mr.. O'Brien
to signify to the Japanese government
that fact and there will be no neces-
sity for him to secure any written
pledges or, indeed, to make any sug-
gestiOn that might in the slightest de-
gree reflect upon the good faith, Of
the Japanese government in this mat
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