The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-13
.jIPs PROTEST
I. To CALF FORN|A
oalctal Communication From
Mikado's Consul Against
Any Discrimination.
EMPIRE OF RISING sun
ASKS AMERICAS GOOD WILL
Bills Now Before Legislature
Would Offend Nations Pride,
Says Nagai.

n ! SACRAMENTO, Cal, Jan. 12,-Ja-
nan 3 first official protest against pro
uosed anti-Japanese legislation in this
state came IN the form of letter from
Consul General Matsuzo Nagai, at San
Francisco, to Senator Leroy Wright,
chairman Of the senate committee on
federal relations.
t'I think the people of this state
hardly realize the deep concern felt in
Jspan on this subject said the consul
general Discrimination at this time
would be particularly surprising to the
f Japanese people IN view Of the, efforts
which have been made during the past
The American people and to prove TO
them the sincerity of japanese good
will"
The letter contains figures support
ing the consul's contention that the
+. Japanese population on the Pacific coast
is steadily decreasing. According to
/. these statistics the number leaving ia
pan for America has diminished each
year and the number arriving In Japan
has increased each year since 1905.
japanese Population Diminishing,
"The tendency of the laboring classes
+ to return to Japan is not diminishing,
says Consul Nagai ''We are not look
ing for extended proprietorships in
lands IN tins state, and, il such posses
sions were our only aim, it might be
abandoned with good grace and little
feeling. Our objections to the bills in"
troduced are based on their discrimina.
tive natures. They could not be ex.
planned to the japanese people as being
otherwise than unfriendly and an of
fense TO national PRIDE
The writer gives reminder that ia
pan has voluntarily enforced "regua.
tions which practically amount to an
exclusion act applied to the japanese
laborers' and has shown her friendli
ness by sending warships to participate
in California festivals and by othel
courtesies. The letter concludes with q
reference to pending negotiations fol-
the revision Of treaties between the
United States and Japan
81 feel contrained,'' says the consul
ITO express the fear that such negotia
tions may be unfavora bly, affected by
/ the passage of measures by the CaIifor.
MIA legislature which are Of q discrimi.
mating character"
Change Is Significant.
|p, The Japanese issue is believed to have
4 been responsible for a change made yes
terday in the personnel Of the senate
committee on federal relations, Senate,
d. J. Beban OF San Francisco was re
moved from the committee by Lieuten
ant Governor Wallace and was replaced
BY Senator c. w. Bell of Pasadena
Senator Beban is the successor of Marc
Anthony, who introduced the conten
tious anti-Japanese measures in the sen
ate two years ago.
Among the anti-Japanese bills already
before the legislature is one providing
against the holding of land in Califor
MIA "by aliens not eligible to be citi
zens of the United States.' 1t is re
ported also that "a bill for the segrega
tion OF japanese school pupils is to be
infoduced. 1t was q measure OF this
character that occasioned an interna
uonal controversy In 1909. Upon the
earnest solicitation of President Rooso
yelt the state legislature at that time
dropped the proposals.