Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-20
GILLETT AFRAID
TO ANTAGONIzE
ALIEN OPINION
ROOSEVELT AND GOVERNOR
WARN LEGISLATURE
LAWS MUST NOT
BE PASSED
Exciting Fight InevitabIe-Report Ja-
pan Has Filed Protest-"PeopIe
Don't Want Cheap Labor"
Says Grove Johnson
fCOntinued from PAGE one,

CONTINUED from Page One)
and Japan, under the terms of which,
the president points out, 1000 more Jap
anese have left America in the last six
months than have come in.
Convinced of Sincerity
The president is convinced that Japan
is sincere in her intentions to greatly
reduce the number of her citizens in
the United States and territories, both
by prohibiting their coming here and
by advising their departure when their
employment and business interests will
permit.
President Roosevelts letter to Gov
ernor Gillett, dated January 16, says:
MY Dear Dovernor-I am greatly
concerned over the anti-Japanese bills
which are apparently going on their
way through the California legislature.
They are in every sense most unfor-
tunate.
"At last we have in first class order
the arrangement which, with much diff
ficulty, We succeeded in getting through
three years ago.
1.-THE japanese government Us OBJ
viously acting in good faith. During
the six months ended October 81 last
the total number of Japanese who have
come to the mainland of the United
States has been 2074, and the total
4OA11OO1 WIZ nave lSll dds UOSIl O1Ols
In other words, the whole object nomin-
ally desired by those who wish to pre-
vent the incoming of Japanese laborers
has been achieved.
''More japanese are leaving the coun-
try than are coming in, and by present
indications in a very few years the
number of Japanese here will be no
greater than that number of Americans
in Japan, that is, the movement will
be as normal in one case as in the
other, which is just as we desire.
There is, therefore, no shadow of eX-
cuse for action which will simply pro-
duce great irritation and may result
in upsetting the present agreement and
throwing open the whole situation.
These agitators have themselves to
thank If trouble comes from what they
do, if there is any rush or influx of
Japanese hither. They hamper the ma
tiona1 government in what it has now
so efficiently accomplished-the agree
ment by peaceful means and through
the friendly initiative of the Japanese
government to keep Japanese immi-
grants out of the United States, save
as Americans themselves visit Japan.
"Is it impossible to get the legisla,-
ture to realize the great unwisdom
from the standpoint of the country at
large, and above all from the stand
point of California of what is being
done? Sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Senator Clapp said the senate should
stop long enough to consider where we
are liable to land if we continue" He
wished to know what method would
be pursued to enforce compliance with
the demand for information if the at
torney general should refuse to fur
nish it,
'The senate has power to enforce its
ORDERS retorted Mr.. Rayner.
Mr.. Clapp insisted that the very in
formation desired by Mr.. Rayner would
be brought out in the proceedings to
quash the indictment in New York,
but the latter replied that the long de-
lay of the proceedings would defeat
his purpose even if the information
could be brought out that way.
Mr.. Rayner declared this the first
time the attorney general had refused
to give information about business be-
fore the department.
when did it occur to any great
lawyer in this senate to go to the at
torney general to ask what the re-
vised statutes .show?" asked Mr.. Dolli-
yer.
''But never before has there been
such a case as this" Mr.. Rayner re-
torted ST believe he is proceeding out
side of the statute for the purpose Of
gaining information to which he has
no right. I ask the senate to maintain
it's privileges
Mr.. Culberson declared the conten-
tion in this case was that the pro-
cesses of the courts were being used
to prosecute people for political Of
fenses. Men were, he said, being prose-
cuted for expressing their honest con-
victions of political character.
By an aye and nay vote the motion
to refer the resolution to the committee
on the judiciary was adopted, A to "a