Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-02-19
ANT|-JAP BILL HARMS,
ROOSEVELT MAINTAINS
Tells California Speaker Pending
Measure May Cause VERY
Grave Mischief"
WILL TAKE 1T INTO COURTS.
State Laws Violating Treaty Obliga-
lions of United States Will Not
Stand Court Test.

The policy Of the administration is
to combine the maximum of efficiency
in achieving the real object which the
people of the Pacific slope have MT
heart with the minimum of friction and
trouble, while tle misguided men Who
advocate such action as this against
which l protest are following a policy
which combines the minimum of eff
cheney with the maximum Of insult and
which, while totally failing to achieve
n real result for good, yet might &C
complish infinite harm"
In this language President Roosevelt.
in a long telegram to Speaker p. "A.
stanton of the California Assembly. set
forth the governments view Of the anti
Japanese legislation now before that
body.
The President stated that the bill
gives just II grave cause for irrita-
ton and that the government would be
obliged Immediately to take action in
the Federal courts to test such legisla-
ton, because it is held to be clearly a
violation Of the treaty obligations OF
the United States. The telegram to
Speaker Stanton was sent only after a
conference with Senator Flint and Rep
resentative Kahn of California and e.
K. Lane Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission
Message Sent to Stanton.
To Speaker Stanton the President sent
the following:
II trust there will be no misunder-
- 81
tude. We are jealousy endeavoring to
guard the interest of California and OF
the entire West in accordance with the
desires of our Western people. BY friend
ly agreement with Japan we are now car
rying out a policy which, while meeting
the interests and desires of the Pacific
slope, is compatible, not merely with mu-
tua! self-resDect but with mutual esteem
and admiration between the Americans
and japanese.
The japanese government is loyalty
and in good faith doing its part to carry
out the policy, precisely as the American
government is doing. The policy aims at
mutually of obligation and behavior. In
accordance with it, the purpose is that the
Japanese shall come here exactly as
Americans go to Japan, which is in effect
that travellers, students, persons engaged
in internationc. business, men who So
journ for pleasure or study, and the like,
shall have the freest access from one
country to the other, and shall be sure OF
the best treatment. but that there shall
be no settlement in mass by the people
of either country in the other.
Number OF laps Here D~ecreasinE.
During the last six months, under this
policy. more japanese have left the coun-
try than have come in. and the total num-
Der in the United States has diminished
by over 1000. These figures are absolute
" accurate and cannot be impeached. In
other words. If the present policy is con-
sistently followed and works as well in
the future as it is now working. all diff
culties and causes of friction will disap-
pear. while at the same time each nation
will retain its self-respect and the good
will of the other.
"Such A bill as this school bill accom-
plishes literally nothing whatever in the
line of the object aimed at and gives just
and grave cause for irritation while, in
addition, the United States government
would be obliged Immediately to take ac-
ton in the federal courts to test such
legislation. as we hold it to be clearly a
violation of the treaty.
"On this point, | refer you TO the nu-
merous decisions of the United States Su-
prone Court in regard to State laws
which violate treaty obligations of the
United States. The legislation would ac-
cenplish nothing beneficial and would
certainly cause some mischief and might
cause grave mischief. In short, the policy
of the administration is to combine the
maximum of efficiency in achieving the
real object which the people of the Pacific
slope have at heart with the minimum of
friction and trouble, while the misguided
men who advocate such action as this
against which | protest are following a
pelicy which combines the minimum of
efficiency with the maximum of insult and
which. while totally failing to achieve
any real result for good, yet might accom-
plish infinite harm.
Pledges Action by Nation.
'If ia the next year or two the action
of the federal government fails to achieve
what it is now achieving, then, through
the further action Of the President and
Congress, it can be made entirely eff
cient.
81 am sure that the sound judgment
Of the people of California will support
YOU, Mr.. Speaker, in your efforts. Let me
repeat that at present we are actually
doing the thing which the people of Cali
fornia wish to be done. and to upset the
arrangement under which this is being
done cannot do good and may do great
harm.
"If. in the next year or two, the fig
ures of immigration prove that the ar
ranpement which has worked so success
fully during the last six months is no
longer working successfully, then there
would be ground for grievance. and for
the reversal by the national government
of its present policy. But at present the
| policv is working well and until it walks
bodlv # would be a grave misfortun. to
! change it. and when changed it can only
| he changed effectively by the national gov