The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-23
he served in the dining room of the
domestic science building.
NEW JAPANESE TREATY.

In consequence of the notification by
Japan of its desire TO terminate the
existing treaty between that nation and
our own, the negotiation of new
| treaty was expected in due course; but,
when the new treaty was suddenly
sprung upon the Senate, it was some
thing in the nature of sensation, es
pecially as the present Senate has only
about ten days of existence, this Con
gress expiring on Saturday of next
week. But the Senate committee has
exercised surprising activity in so sud.
denly making n favorable report on
the treaty.
The chief interest attaching to this
treaty will naturally be the immigra.
tion clauses therein, 1t appears that
these are made as broad for Japan as
they are for any European nation, so
that Japanese will be ms free TO come
to, this country as Germans, Britons,
Scandinaviars. Italians, Austrjans, Hun
garians, or Frenchmen. 1t is true that
the explanation is given that Japan
recognizes fully the right of the United
States. as il reserves to itself the same
right, TO exclude undesirable immi'
grants; but Japan would chafc at any
laws passed by the United States di-
rected especially against Japanese,
either by reason of nationality or race,
under this common right of exclusion,
and Japan would undoubtedly claim
that the United States has no more
right TO leeislate against the incoming
japanese than against the incoming
Italians, Frenchmen. Englishmcn, or
Germans. That is to say, Japan in
sists now and will continue to insist,
that the United States must allow the
same liberty of access to japanese MS
il does to foreigners of any other race
or nation. But right there will be the
trouble. II Will be impossible to recon
cile that idea with the feeling against
japanese immigration throughout all
this Western country; and the call for
combined resistance from the Senators
of all these Mountain and Coast States
to oppose this treaty will be pressed
with unyielding tenacity. 1t will be
held here that il were better to have
no treaty at all with Japan than
treaty like this.
Ii may he true as stated that ia.
pan will he put upon her honor not 70
allow tie emigration TO the United
States of coolies or undesirable char
acters; but that will not help. There
is not the slightest disposition on the
part of the Western people to put any
trust in japanese honor in this respect,
nor to believe that this would be any
sort of barrier at all. Even were the
Japanese national authorities inclined
to keep pledge of this kind. the Jap
anese agencies and commercial com
nanes would find ample means open to
thwart any such official desire
There is no question but that any
treaty of this kind would bring severe
friction, and would be n constant irrita-
Fion 10 the people of the west coast of
tremely difficult for the national au
.horities TO keep peace and enforce
the treaty. Such treaty rs this would
bring TO the front again the same old
uuestlop as TO how the United States
PROPOSES as Il ;.ractica proposition TO
enforce trea'y as the supreme law of
the land, which the Constitution de-
clares the same to be, against an over
whelming local public sentiment.
The springing of this treaty at this
time is undoubtedly a trouble breeder
OF very large proportions, and as
practical proposition for the national
administration to insist upon the ratifi-
cation of this treaty, would mean the
throwing away of the electoral votes
of all the Coast States at the Presi.
Dental election next year.