Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-11
PRESIDENT AND
GILLETT SCORE
GREAT VICTORY
SCHOOL SEGREGATION BILL
FINALLY DEFEATED
DEMAooGLc OPPOSITION TO FED
ERAL TREATY FAILS
All Anti-Japanese Measures in Con-
fIict with National Policy Now
Buried-Data on Asiatics
Sought
lContInued from PAGE one,

We're pressed at this time it would
have a disastrous effect.
Under the agreement between Japan
and our government the former is
pledged to restrict immigration so
much as possible.
IF Japan had grounds for abrogat-
ing this arrangement and decided, in
view of unfriendly acts on the part of
the California legislature, to remove
these restrictions upon the emigration
of her people, all our ports would be
open to the latter
'If, then, we went before congress
and asked the east for support for a
general Asiatic exclusion act the lat
ter might advance the adverse argu-
ment that we had the situation well
in hand at one time through federal
negotiations and lost our advantage by
the acts of our legislature against the
wishes of the president and secretary
of State.'
Will Telegraph President
Both Governor Gillett and Speaker
Stanton will telegraph President
Roosevelt announcing the result of to-
days vote.
The governor received another mes
sage from the White House this after
noon thanking him for the efforts he
had made on behalf of the federal au-
thOritieS to suppress the school bill.
This measure has been the sensation
of two legislatures. 1t was first intro
duced at the session two years ago by
Grove L. Johnson of Sacramento, for
mer congressman from this district,
and a member of the state lawmaking
body for many years. 1t was framed
at the request of the San Francisco
board of education, after the latter
had passed a resolution barring Jap
o6i1draF1 schools AT
tended by white scholars and assigning
them to the institutions attended by
Chinese.
The law specified that Mongolians
and Indians should be segregated and
the boards action was based on the
contention that the japanese belonged
to the Mongolian race. This the Jap
anese denied most strenuOusly.
The mikado's government protested
to President Roosevelt and the mem
bers of the school board, headed by
the Ohen) mayor, Eugene Schmitz,
were summoned to a conference at
Washington with the chief executive of
the nation.
Restriction Promised
The president sent an urgent message
to the governor and the legislature of
this state asking that the bill be with
drawn, at least for the period of two
years, assuring them that in the mean
time the United States would, by ne
gotiation with Japan, do all in it's
power to restrict Japanese immigra-
tion and alleviate the conditions pro-
tested against by the Japanese and
Korean Exclusion league of California
as well as numerous other bodies.
Assemblyman Johnson, when he pre-
sented it again on the first day for
the introduction of bills at this session,
stated he had done so without prompt
ing from the Asiatic Exclusion league
or any other organization.
So soon as Japan heard the news of
the revival of the anti-Japanese legis-
lation she. made representations to
Washington that it would, if passed
violate the treaty rights of that nation
and after d consultation with Secretary
of State Root the president wired Gov
ernOr Gillett urging that action be de-
layed again.
But it was not over the school bill
that the federal authorities seemed to
be concerned. They did not believe at
that time it would be enacted.
The president specifically mentioned
as obnoxious a measure introduced by
A. NJ. Drew of Fresno, prohibiting the
ownership of land by aliens.
Blow at Japanese
As japanese are not permitted to be-
come citizens they considered the bill
as blow aimed especially at them.
Governor Glllett sent a, message to
the legislature asking that the land bill
be killed, and this was done But later.
when the school bill, which had been
quietly reported out favorably by COM
mittee, was called up for final adoption,
it was adopted by vote of As to 2S
The president was astounded by the
news and at once wired Governor Gil
lett that this was "the most offensive
bill of all"
Walter Leeds of Los Angeles had
given notice that he would move to re-
consider the vote by which the measure
passed, and the. governor sent another
message, urging the assembly to recon-
slider and kill it,
This precipitated the battle that cul-
minated today in d victory for the
president.
The telegram received by the gov
ernor from President Roosevelt this
afternoon is as follows:
Telegram from President
WHITE HOUSE. Washington. d. c..
Feb 10-Hon. J. n. Gillett, Governor.
Sacramento: Accept my heartiest con-
gratulations. All good Americans an
preciate what you have DONE Pray ex-
tend my congratulations individually TO
all who have aided you. l feel that the
way in which California has done what
was right for the nation makes it more
than ever obligatory on the nation in
every way to safeguard the interests of
California. All that l personally do to-
ward this end, whether in public or pri-
vate life, shall most certainly be done
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Speaker Stanton sent the following
telegram to President Roosevelt:
''The assembly just reconsidered and
I fused passage to the japanese school
bill. My congratulations"
The speaker received the following
from the president:
Accept my heartiest thanks and
congratulations for the great service
you have rendered on behalf of the
people of the United States | thank
the people of California and their rep
resentatives in the legislature"
Fight Is Interesting
The fight in the assembly this morn
ing was not without it's dramatic fea-
lures.
r. L. BeaFdslee of Stockton moved
that the assembly go into executive
session in order that Speaker Stanton
might talk more freely regarding state
secrets. This, however, got little sup
port and was quickly voted down.
Mr. Transue then explained his reso-
luton. 1t declared that in the opinion
of the, assembly that body had the
power to enact such legislation but in
view of the attitude taken by the fed
eral authorities would rescind its action
in passing the school bill.
The resolution as read made it very
plain that the assembly did not agree
with Secretary Root that the bill was