The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1908-01-11
PUZZLE TO OFFICIALS
Washington Unable to Account
for European War Talk.
NO FRICTION WITH JAPANESE
Negotiations Looking to Exclusion OF
cooie Labor From the United
States Progressing Smoothly To.
ward Ultimate Agreement.

Washington, Jan demonstrating
the smoothness W which exchanges
are progressing b, cen America and
Japan relative to e adjustment of
questions growing of the immigra-
tion 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 we'll as in this country of re.
ports calculated to convey the impres.
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 accede to a demand" of Am
bassador O'Brien that an agreement tc
restrict Japanese coolie immigration
into the United States be reduced tC
writing, meets with unqualified contra
diction at the state department. Mr.
O'Brien is merely aiding japanese
officials to perfect internal regula
tions 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 modIs 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 the
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.
tion of the issue of passports, have
Proved Utterly ineffective.
The Japanese officials were surprised
at the figures presented by Mr..
O'Brien, illustrating not only the con.
tinIance of the coolie immigration
into America but its 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
rrunicated 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-
tion of the department of state and
the department of commerce and la
Dor, 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 EXPIRE ! d the be-
lief that the plan proposed is salts
factory. Should the department coin
eide in this view 1t 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
fer