Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-09
President Again Warns Cali.
fornia Legislature.
AAY DO GREAT MISCHIEF
Declares japanese Are Now Acting
in Good Faith.
THREATENS TO TEST LAW
Federal Courts, BE, Declares, Will Be
Invoked Immediately if School
Bill Is Passed.

! President Roosevelt last night sent an
other long telegram to Speaker Stanton o
| the California assembly in which he again
urged that the legislature kill the anti
| japanese bills now before it. The Pres
dent this time goes further than he ha:
yet done and plainly states that the bills
if passed. will result in great mischief
being done. If the school bill is passed HI
declares a test suit will be immediatel,
brought to have the federal courts deter
| mine whether or not it is in controver
| tim of the treaty with Japan.
| The telegram was dispatched after
conference held at the White House will
! Secretary of State Bacon and severa
western senator's. as told in yesterdays
| Star.
| The Presidents Telegram
The Presidents telegram in full fol-
lows:
The White House
Washington, February S, 1909
Hon. p. A. Stanton. Speaker of the AS
| sembly. Sacramento, Cal:
| ! trust there will be no misunderstood
ing of the federal governments attitude
We are jealousy endeavoring to guard
the interests OF California and Of the en-
tire west, In accordance with the desires
of our western people. BY friendly agree
out a policy which, while meeting the
| interests and desires of the Pacific slope
! is yet compatible not merely with mutual
| self-respect, 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 this policy, precisely as the Ameri-
can government is doing.
The policy aims at mutually of obliga
| ton and behavior. In accordance with
1t, 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 international
Or study. and the like. shall have the
| freest access from one country to the
other. and shall be sure of the best treat
ment, but that there shall be no settle
ment in mass by the people of either
country In the other.
Japs Returning Home.
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 two thousand. These figures
are absolutely accurate. and cannot be
| impeached. In other words, if the pres
ent policy is consistently followed, and
works as we'll In the future as 1t Is now
| working. all difficulties and causes. OF
friction will disappear, while at the same
time each nation will retain its seif-re
spect and the good will of the other.
But such bill as this school bill &C
composites literally nothing whatever II
the line Of the object aimed at and gtve
| inc nd IN rrf
| in addition, the United States govern
ment would be Obliged Immediately Il
take action In the federal courts to tes
such legislation. as we hold it to be clearl,
violation Of the treaty. On this point
refer you to the numerous decisions 81
the United States Supreme Court in re
gard to state laws which violate treaty
| obligations of the United States.
Might Cause Grave Trouble.
| The legislation would accomplish moth
ing beneficial. and would certainly cause
some mischief. and might cause very
grave mischief.
In short, the policy of the admnistra
ton is to combine the maximum of eff
siency In achieving the real object which
the people Of the Pacific slope have a
! heart with the minimum of friction anC
! trouble. while the misguided men who ad
vocate such action as this against which
4
| combines the very minimum of efficienc!
with the maximum of insult. and which
while totally failing to achieve any rea
results for good, yet might accomplish
an infinity of harm.
! If In the next year or two the action OF
| the federal government fails to achieve
what 1T Is now achieving, then through
| the further action of the President anC
Congress it can be made entirely efficient
| am sure that the sound judgment of the
| Nc IF California
Speaker in your effort.
Doing What California Wants.
Let me repeat that at present we are
actually doing the very thing which The
people of California wish to be done. ant
to upset the arrangement under which
this Is being done cannot do good, ane
may do great harm. If in the next yeal
or two the figures of immigration prove
| that the arrangement which has worked
so successfully during the last six month
Is no longer working successfully. ther
| there would be ground for grievance. ant
| for the reversal by the national govern
ment of its present policy. But at presen
! the policy is working we'll, and until i
| works badly 1t would be a grave msfor
tune to change 1t, and when changed |
can only be changed effectively by the ma
tional government.
(Omcial) THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
President Awaiting Developments.
! Having sent his message to the Califor
MIA legislature on the Japanese situation
President Roosevelt today appeared to b.
waiting developments with the law
makers Of the Pacific coast state. EXcep
for brief talk with Secretary Bacon an,
| his cabinet officers at the regular cabine
meeting, the President did not discuss tn
subject during the day. He had no visit
! ors from California other states wher
| the question Is dominant and as Their
| were no new phases to be met the situa
| ton merely drifted
The President has received assurance
that Washington and other Pacific coas
states are not inclined to fall into lin
with California and that II legislation il
the latter state Is killed there will b.
little to be handled pending the solutiO
that will have to be made sooner or later
Editor Graves a Caller.
! John Temple Graves. the editor. Gale,
on the President today and the Presiden