Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-01-28
PRESIDENT ON JAP BILLS
Letter to Governor Gillett Advises
Against Any Legislation.
ALIEN LAND LAW PROBABLE
Statement IL Made that Roosevelt
would Not Oppose General stric-
ture on ForeIRners-ActIon
IL Postponed.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27.-President
Roosevelts second letter to Governor Gil
lett OF California relating to the japanese
situation. now on its way to the chief
executive of California, will not be made
public at the White House, the discretion
of doing this being left with tho COVER
nor.
The letter is understood TO advise
against legislation OF any kind at this
time bearing upon the japanese. even II
not directly discriminating against the
citizens of Japan. At the same time the
president recognizes the existence n a
sentiment favorng r non-dscriminatory
law prohibiting aliens from holding land
in the state and It will be pretty clear
from this letter and from talks he had
had with California congressman, includ-
ing short conference today with Sena-
tor Flint, that he would not oppose such
a law. He does not want 1t understood
however that he encourages or desires a
law of this kind. because the Japanese
may regard 1t as being aimed at them
although they may accept its provisions
without remonstTance.
The president strongly thinks that It
would be better to take action pend
ing the developments of the next two
understands the presidents attitude to be
one of opposition to legislation Of any
sort, but in spite of the inclination of
the California people to follow the lead
ership of the president whenever possl
bic, the senator Is convinced that there
will be a law of no-ownership of lands
by aliens. This will reach the japanese
directly, although all aliens will be on
practically the same footing and Japan
could not officially make protest,
Action Postponed n Week.
SACRAMENTO, Cal. Jan. 27-On motion
of Assemblyman A. NJ. Drew, author of the
anti-alien land BILL action on all anti-Japa-
nose bills was postponed for one week,
when the measures came up as a special
order of business this afternoon
Mr. Drew has held a conference with
Governor Gilett and will amend his meas
ure to conform to the wishes Of the fed
eral government.
Drew received the following letter from
the governor yesterday:
MY Dear Mr.. Drew: Your note received.
Am inclined to think that the best possible
law that can be passed upon the question
of alien ownership of land would be the
law adopted by Oklahoma. You will find
it in the session laws of the state of Okla
homa, 1907 and 1908. The book is on file
in the state library. The action is on page
4S1.
II would strike out the first line, the
words who is not a citizen of the United
States. because that is useless, as no alien
is citizen of the United States.
ITO this bill might be added the last sec
| tion of your bill, extending the time In
which leases can be given-so many years
| on agric,,1turoI Dronarty apd So Dany Nears
on city property. / think one year is
rather short, and inasmuch as this could
apply to aliens alike / would be reasonable
as to the length of time for which leases
should be granted.
| Position of President.
| Il am also of the opinion that President
Roosevelt and Secretary Root would agree
| that this would be all right-in fact, have
| kilograms from them which would indicate
such to be the fact. or course the question
whether or not it would be policy to pass
an alien law in this state is something that
the Legislature would have 10 consider, but
il such a bill is to pass, as l say, am in
clined to believe that one like the Okla
homa law probably would be the best.
Yours truly, j. ~ GIL.LETT."
Grove L. Jackson, author of the bills de-
nying japanese the right to belong to cor
poration directories and segregating them
into sects and residents, obtained no sup
port aside from a brief speech by Charles
A. Nelson. a labor assemblyman from San
Francisco. Mr.. Nelson declared he was op-
posed 10 postponement. believing the as
sembly should go on record at once on the
question.
Senator Marc Anthony introduced in the
upper house today a joint resolution call
ing upon congress to request that the Jap
anese consul general at San Francisco be
recalled by his government on the ground
that the official had attempted to influence
the action of the California Legislature
The alleged offense of the consul was
that he had called upon Governor Gllett
and asked him to prevent the enactment OF
anti-Japanese bills pending.