The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-05
California Assembly After De-
feating the Anti-Alien Bill,
Springs Surprise With the
School Measure.
ROOSEVELT PROTESTS
TO GOVERNOR GlllETr
President Wires California
Executive Urging Him to
Veto Measure, Described
As Offensive.

Sacramento. Cal. Feb. 5.-With the
defeat in the lower house yesterday
of two of the anti-Japanese measures
followed by the unexpected passage of
a third bill segregating Japanese
school children in separate schools
along with Chinese. Koreans and 9TH
er Asiatics. regarded as the most of
fensive measure of all. President
Roosevelt again has taken hand in
the anti-Japanese legislation that, for
the last week. has drawn International
attention to California.
Hardly had the bill been passed by
the assembly before Governor Gillett
received the following message from
the president:
Washington. Feb. 4, 1909.
Il. n. Gillett, governor of California:
Your kind letter just received. What
is the rumor that the California legis-
lature has passed a bill excluding the
Japanese children from the public
schools?
This is the most offensive bill OF
all. and, in my judgment. is clearly
unconstitutional. and we should at
once have to test ii in the courts.
Can il be stopped in the legislar
ture or by veto?
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Governor cillett Silent.
The governor at once sent a reply,
the nature of which he declines At this
A. - k<n<9
from the president an immediate
answer.
Pending the receipt of another tele-
gram from President Roosevelt. Gov
ernor Gillett declined last night TO
discuss the action of the assembly.
The bill passed. which was one OF
three antiJapanese measures intro
duced by Assemblyman Grove L. John
son, places the Japanese in the same
classification with other Asiatics. and
inserts the word Japanese" In the
present state statute providing for tho
segregation in separate schools OF
Mongolian children.
BY this action the lower house OF
the California legislature has taken
the step which the board of education
of San Francisco intended to take two
years ago. but which was abandoned
after the board and former Mayor
Eugene +. Schmitz were called to
Washington and had several cOnferen-
ces with President Roosevelt.
At that time it was contended by
the Japanese that they were not Mon
golians and they resented the efforts
to place them in the same class with
the Chinese. Koreans and other Asia
tic races. The question also was rails
ed whether or not under the law tho
segregation Of Japanese school child
rem could be enforced in the absence
of specific mention of the word Jap
anese''
Upon the return OF the delegation
from Washington the San Francisco
board Of education contented itself
with the adoption of rule limiting
the age OF pupils that would be per-
mitted to attend the lower grades OF
1.-THE public schools. one of the principal
objections to the Japanese being that
adults were attending the primary
grades and in daily association With
white children of tender years.
Came as Great Surprise.
Unexpected was the passage Of tho
Japanese school segregation bill yes
terday. After the defeat OF Drew's
anti-alien land bill. which was gener-
ally believed to foreS hadow the rejec-
ton of all of the measures aimed at
the Japanese, the defeat yesterday OF
two more anti-Japanese bills added to
the surprise occas;oned by the vote
on the school segregation bill
Immediately upon learning Of the
assembly's action. Governor Gillett
called into conference Speaker STAN
ton and the republican leaders OF both
houses. The latter expressed the hope
of still being able to defeat the meas
(Confiuuod On pa1o Twn1