The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1913-06-07
The japanese and the Alien Land
Laws.

(By James l.. Sladen, Congressman
from Texas, in Farm and Ranch.)
The visit of the Secretary of State,
w. ]. Bryan, to California, as the
agent of the president, is occasioned
by an acute phase Of the immigration
question. In California and in one or
two other Pacific Coast States the ques-
ton as presented has to do entirely
with Asiatics, particularly with Chi
nese and Japanese.
During the administration of Mr..
Roosevelt the people of San Francisco
undertook to keep the Japanese out OF
their public schools. They contended
that some of the Japanese "boys" who
were attending the public schools were
in reality grown young men OF ~ or II
years. They did not want their chill
dren, particularly their daughters, to
sit in the same class with these grown
young men, and the authorities, quite
properly, as the writer thinks, took
steps to have them removed. That
brought protest from Japan through
the japanese Ambassador in Washing
ton, and opened up the whole ugly and
irrepresible race question.
Under the terms of the treaty be-
tween the United States and Japan
we are obligated to treat the people OF
chat country as they treat ours. II our
people want to go to Japan and attend
che public schools. or to buy farms, or
other lands, they are permitted to do
so under certain restrictions. But. as
a matter of fact, our people neither
want to 90 to Japan for education nor
TO engage in farming. So, after all, it
is only a nominal privilege that our
people receive under the treaty while
it is very real and valuable conces-
sion the Japanese have.
Almost at the same time they had
the school question on hand the Call
fornia legislature took up the work of
enacting measure intended TO pre-
vent certain classes of aliens from ac-
quiring or holding lands in that State.
The bill was as frankly aimed at the
Chinese and Japanese, as is that which
caused President Wilson to send Mr..
Bryan post haste to Sacramento. Pres
ident Roosevelt had his attention call
ed to the situation by the Japanese
Ambassador in Washington and he took
the matter up with the Governor of
California. Mr.. Roosevelt did not de-
nv, as Mr.. Wilson does not deny, the
right of State to enact any law it
pleases to make to prevent aliens hole
ing land. He only contended that he
law should not discriminate between
the aliens. He pleaded with the Cali
fornians not to take steps which would
cause trouble and which might land us
in an expensive foreign war, and he
promised to negotiate with the govern
ment of Japan for result which would
be mutually satisfactory. No new
treaty was negotiated by the Roosevelt
, administration, but an agreement, or
, understanding, extra official and not
strictly binding, was entered into be-
, tween Secretary of State Root and the
Ambassador from Japan by which, fOr
J the time being, the California legisla-
ture was induced to abandon its legis-
lative programme and the Emperor OF
Japan agreed to keep his people al
home. He has lived up to the agree
, ment fairly well.
The truth is that japan is anxious to
have her surplus population settle in
Formosa, the island which she took
from China, and in Manchuria where
she hopes to control in the future.
That last ambition. however. is apt to
be contested by China, which claims
! sovereignty, and by Russia which also
asserts rights.
Japan is tremendously overpopulated.
The country cannot support the popu-
lation. They must go out or starve.
Twenty years ago Leroy Bearlieu, the
great French writer and traveller, said
that the average Japanese farm only
contained two and quarter acres.
The starving Japanese might find re-
lief in Formosa and Manchuria, as their
Emperor suggests, but they are more
tempted by the high wages and greater
opportunities in the United States.
The people of tht Pacific coast, led
by the labor unions and melted to hos
tility by ambitious men who hoped to
climb to eminence on the prejudices Of
the masses, induced Congress as long