Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-08
President Holds a Conference
With California Representa-
tives and Secretary Bacon
JAPAN HAS BEEN HEARD FROM
Probable Government Has Officially
Heard From Toxic as to Attitude To-
ward Legislation in california-Pres-
ident Expected to Issue Statement
Tuesday.

Washington, Feb. S.-President
Roosevelt summoned Senator Flint and
Representative Kahn, OF California, to
the White House today and with Sec
retary Of State Bacon and Assistant
Secretary O'Laughlin another confer
ence was held on the japanese situa-
tion in California Another statement
or some radical action Is expected To-
morrow.
AT the conclusion Of the conference,
the Caiifornians declared their mouths
had been closed by the president, VINO
asked them to say nothing, as he in
tended to make public a statement to-
morrow. The state department officials
also declared they could not talk.
The conference was followed by an
other conference between the preisi-
dent and Secretaries NeWberry and
Wright, at the conclusion OF which
direct, unequivocal statement was
made by both secfetaries that the
name of Japan or California had not
been referred to and that the discus
sion was an important one.
A Significant Fact.
The fact that the state departm snt
was represented in the conference has
excited more speculation than any 9th
er feature and caused the belief that
certain representations have been
made by Japan as to how she regards
possible legislation in California. The
40 f.
ant messages had been received from
Ambassador O'Brien, our representa-
tive at Toxic, portraying the feeling
there. In reply to inquiries along these
lines Secretary Bacon declined to talk
Letter to Be Made Public.
on matters before the conference ~
the White House was letter which
the president has written to Speaker
stanton, OF the lower house Of the Cal
ifornia legislature. This letter, which
was mailed this afternoon, and later
will be made public here, again sets
forth the attitude of the administration
as to anti Japanese legislation and
reiterates the "unwisdom and inoppor-
tunenuess of action Of any kind at all
ct this time"
Mr., Kahn declined to discuss his In
terview with the president, but II is
known that after his return from the
capitol from the conference he sug-
gested to his colleagues in congress
that time should be given to Japan to
test her ability to keep her coolie labor
out of the United States. He urged that
if there should be failure on the part
Of Japan there will be time enough to
act during the approaching September
session Of congress.
They Won't Line Up.
During the day the entire California
delegation of the house with the ex-
ceptIon of McLachlan, met at lunch
con and discussed the Japanese stu
alton to greater or lesser extent, and
It is stated upon authority of those
nresent that Kahn was the only mem
ber in attendance who manifested an
inclination to support the administra-
4ion in its attitude toward the states
action on the Japanese question. II
was apparent that while the delegation
was disposed to be conservative, It's
svrnpathies were largely with Califor-
MAS efforts to keep the japanese out
nv means Of state legislation II 1t was
not done by action Of the federal gov
ardnment. Members Of the delegation
declare that large nl abers OF Japanese
are coming into the United States by
way OF Mexico and Canada