The Detroit times., 1910-12-01
JAPAN F0REsTALlS
An EXCLUSION ACT
BY Denying Subjects Passports To
This Country Nation Averts Pos
sible Friction.

IOklO, lee. L. ne gONeluHieh' va
Japan is and has been for "A consider
able time voluntarily enforcing an ex'
clusion act which is more rigid and
thorough than any congress wouid
pass. and at the same time free from
the many unpleasant possibilities. II
not probabilities, which such an ACT
would create. says q cablegram TO the
New York World.
Very few people either in America
or in Japan appreciate the full extent
OF what the government OF Japan is
doing 10 avoid friction over the I'M
migration question, for IL Is all done
quietly but firmly.
The Japanese people will submit TO
any regulations which their own gov
ernmen, imposes upon them. but
would resent an exclusion act II pass
ed by congress. What Japan Is dong
voluntarily ia merely a precaution 10
prevent an alternative which wonld
be not only Objectionable and humil'
iating, but which the entire country
would resent as an insult.
For a considerable time no new emf
grants have been permitted to leave
for the United States. An immense
amount of work has been thrust upon
the foreign Office in thorough ana
searching Investigations as regards
each and every passport issued.
To illustrate the stringency with
which these regulations are adhered
two cases are quoted whicn came un'
der the personal observation OF The
Worlds correspondent. AT recep-
ton a few weeks ago Mr.. Vickers,
professor OF political economy at the
Keio university, in conversation win
the American ambassador. solicited
his support TO obtain passport for
his children's nurse. Prof Vickers is
expecting TO return 10 the United
States this year after a residence OF
over nine years, and this nurse has
been a second mother TO his children
AMI he was most anxious 10 take her
with them. The ambassador replied
that il was impossible for him TO con
sent to issue such a passport, as no
discretion was allowed him by the
state department. and the foreign
office in Japan had refused to Issue
passports to any OF the laboring class
es 10 America No pressure brought
either upon the foreign office or the
embassy could cause any exceptions,
no matter how worthy OF considera-
ton they might be.
Passport Denied influential Man.
Another instance was at small
private luncheon where member oil
the lower house OF parliament from
the Satsuma district told me he -
very anxious that his son should go to
America TO continue his studies and to
enter some college II possible. He has
one son living In Seattle. He regret
ted to say that it was impossible to
obtain a passport for his second son
incurred whether he was going as
n student and he replied, Yes, abso
lutely, as a bona fde student. | was
very much surprised at this, for he
Is one of the most influential mem
bers OF parliament, and he comes from
a district which Is also the most pow
erful in Japan, a rather peculiar con
dition Of Japanese politics being thai
as a result Of the former feudal period
the clan system is still In vigorous
operation.
The national government OF Japan is
controlled by two observation-disclosures
and Choshu-known as the "Sashu'
element. These two clans were the
most influential in the restoration OF
the Mikado, and have ever since re-
tanned dominating control or all the
higher positions. All the ministers OF
state, with one exception, are mem
bers OF this clan.
IL was surprising in another respect
In so far as a student would not come
under the restriction as applied to i'm
migrants. Upon further inquiry re-
garding this subject Ambassador
O'Brien informed me that no passport
would be issued for students by the
foreign office unless sufficient
amount was guaranteed to cover their
course OF study for the full length OF
the term, four or Ave years, and that
these guarantees were recorded at the
foreign Office usually in the form OF a
bank guarantee.
Pledge From Missionary.
Another instance which was brought
to my attention was the case OF a
missionary college in one OF the west
ern states Of the United States which
had written to the head OF their mis-
sion school in Japan that they were
DESTROYS OF having a bright Japanese
boy. if his school would select one
and that they we're prepared to pay
his college expenses In America. The
missionaries have selected boy, and
furthermore, obtained contributions
sufficient to pay all his travelling eX
penses to this college. When permits
sion and passports were applied foI
they were refused. The assurance Oh
tho college authorities in America