Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-20
NEXT MOVE UP To
| TOK|OGOv{RNMENT
State Department Expects
Japan's Reply in Alien Pro-
test to Be Argumentative.
MAY TEST LAND LAW
BY RECOURSE TOCOURTS
Gov. Johnson's Signature Of Land
Bill Discounted in japanese
Official Circles.

With the answer OF the United States
to its protest in hand, il is now up to the
Japanese foreign office to take the next
step in the negotiations over the Cali
fornia alien land act. 1t is expected that
the forthcoming rejoinder to Secretary
Bryan will be strongly argumentative and
| calculated to result in the conduct Of the
future negotiations on strictly Zeal
| basis.
| As it is understood tina. the State
Department is looking to the Japanese
government or some Japanese citizen
| to test the new law by recourse to the
United States courts. X may be sig
nliicant of the drawing of another Is
sue that the Japanese are believed to
| be reluctant to begin such u move
ment
| In his protest CT May . to the State De-
partment, the Japanese ambassador is un-
derStood to have made * perfectly clear
that Japan inding 1t impossible to deal
directly with the State o. California. was
relying entirely upon tie federal gov
eminent to insure whas he believes to
be fair treatment for its subjects.
| Probably that contention will be ex-
| tended to cover the legal test of the
California land law, though the ordI-
| nary procedure in such cases would be
| to allow Japanese subject. threaten
| ed with escheatment Of his lands, to
begin action by application for an in
| junction.
| Meanwhile. it is expected that sew
eral days will elapse before the Jap
anese rejoinder is received. in view OF
| the fact that ten days were taken for
| the preparation and delivery of the
| American reply to the original protest.
For Exclusive Power With Congress.
Representative Bartholdt OF Missouri
stated today that he purposed to intro
duce next Friday. when the House met.
power to legislate on all questions Affect
ing the rights of citizens Of other coun-
| a resolution to give Congress exclusive
tries residing in the United States.
! He said the purpose of the measure
would be to prevent individual states
! from passing laws which might cause
| trouble with foreign countries.
| He said this lack of federal control
of such matters, affecting the ability
| of the federal government to carry out
palpable defeat recognized some years
| ago in a protest by Germany, which the
| United States government overcome by
| giving assurance that the State De-
partment would assert ltSelI, tnougn
| without power
| House today Representative Sisson OF
| Mississippi announced his intention of
| volved in the California-Japanese situa-
ton when the House meets again Fri
| day.
Pacification Tokio's Aim.
TOXIC, May oO.-The news that the
California alien land ownership bill had
been signed by Gov. Johnson was re-
ceived here with regret. although 1t had
been discounted In official and non-off1cial
circles. 1t was hoped up to the last mo-
ment. however, that Washington's inter-
vention would prove successful. The
newspapers published extra editions with
the announcement that the bill had been
signed.
The efforts of the Japanese government
are concentrated at present on pacify1ng
public opinion. but the task is regarded
in many quarters as more difficult one
than at the time Of the California school
controversy of even over year ago.
Since the death of the old Japanese
emperor the authority of the government
has steadily diminished In resisting the
growing influence of public opinion. and
the spirit of democracy is augmenting
throughout the empire.
Foreign Office Reassured.
Arthur Bailly Blanchard, secretary OF
the United States embassy. visited Baron
Noboaki Maxine, the Japanese foreign
minister today and reiterated the de-
termination of the United States govern
ment to find friendly and satisfactory
solution of the question. He emphasized
the fact that it was California and not
an American question and thanked the
japanese government for It's friendliness
and for its attempts to restrain the eX-
citable public opinion of Japan.
1t is generally believed here that Wash
ington will find a solution of the prob
lem, but the more conservative elements
in Japan are now echoing the public agi-
tation for equal treatment of the Jap
anese They declare that the racial issue.
which it is contended is involved. and
the steady recurrence of anti-Japanese
bills in California should receive basic
curative treatment.
prominent official said today: THE
Japanese people feel that their national
honor is involved. The present question
will be solved peacefully. but what Is
needed to assure the permanence OF our
traditional friendship is a change of
heart in some Americans toward the
japanese
japanese Merchants Meet.
The group OF business men from various
cities of Japan. who visited the United
States in 1909. and made many friends
there are seeking the cooperation Of the
most influential of these toward q con-
tinuance of the friendly relations between
the two countries They held reunion at
Kyoto Yesterday and decided to commun-
icate with their American friends in an eff
fort TO aid in the settlement of the con-
troyersy over the alien land ownership
legislation.
The discussion was of the most friendly
character, but the granting of naturali-
cation and the conclusion of new treaty
we're considered most desirable.
section OF the press bitterly de-
pounces Gov. Johnsons reply to Presi-
dent Wilson as unjust, declaring that Ii
is strongly anti-Japanese and that Gov.
Johnson is seeking to eyade his own re-
sponsihility under cover of the national
law
Toe Yorodzu considers Gov. Johnson
attitude as an intolerable insult TO Japan,
which. il says. has always manifested
good will and has voluntarily restricted
emigration. The paper expresses the
hope that a protest Will be lodged
against the alien land ownership bill
recently signed by the Governor of Af-
IONA.
Gov. Johns0n'S Signature
AI&oohod IN hlion I md hnfs