New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-14
Next Move in California Land
Issue Probably Will Be a
More Detailed Protest
From Japan.
ACTION WAITS ON JOHNSON
Representative Kahn Points
Out Serenity with Which the
United States Took the
Mexican Anti
Alien Law.
From The Tribune Bureau. !

Washington May 13.-The admins
tration aid the Japanese government
are marking time in the California
japanese controversy. awaiting the ac-
tion Of Governor Johnson. who holds m
his hands the fate OF the Webb Blood
good bill
Aside from the probability of the
Secretary Of States formally submit
ting Governor Johnson's prospective
message To Ambassador Chinda, the
next rove in the negotiations VIII
proba bly, be made by the japanese
government. providing, Of course. that
the biV is signed.
\ more detailed protest Is expected
to come from Ambassador Chinda III
the event that Governor Johnson hp-
proves the objectiona bic measure, as
a careful study of the law and it's rela-
tion to the commercial treaty of III Is
being made at the japanese Embassy.
The formal protest made last week IS
necessarily rather broad in its charac-
ter, but IT is the intention Of Ambassa =
dor Chinda 10 supplement the repre-
sentations with additional objections
founded on technicalities.
Not 10 Attack Law.
Silence q maintained at the state
Department regarding future action
should the Webb Bloodgood bill become
law. but there Is we'll founded ie-
lief that neither the President nor Sec-
retary Bryan, both OF whom are firm
believers i'm the states rights" princi-
pie. will approve any plan for the Nd
tional government TO attack the cOnsti-
tutionality of the act or attempt other
wise to question the right of Califor-
mia To enact such legislation. In fact,
the administration attitude from the
OF I IN been that California had the
right 10 enact the alien land law but
that IL was unwise, not 10 say disloyal
to irritate Japan at this time.
Secretary Bryan has again left the
controversy i'm the hands of John Bas-
sctt Moore. the counsellor for the State
Department. He loft here to-day for
Harrisburg. Penn. to address the
Pennsylvania Legislature and attend d
dinner II is not expected that there
will be any important developments in
the dispute before his return to Wash
ington.
4 Ia "a
in 1886. eight years after the signing
of the treaty of peace with the United
States. prohibiting foreigners from
owning lands within twenty leagues Of
sentiment Of the United States. against
which It was particularly aimed, was
pointed out to-day BY Representative
Kahn. of California
Americans Ever Barred.
The law prohibited foreigners from
settling i'm this strip without the ex-
press consent of tav Mexican govern
ment. vt times consent has been
given To Russians. French. Germans.
Englishmen have been carefully elm
mated Permission has been given for
the sale Of lands within the restricted
territory for colonization purposes, pro-
viding a certain percentage of the col
onists were Mexicans.
The obvious purpose of the law was
TO prevent the loss of further territory
through the revolt Of American colon
lists, as happened i'm the case of the
State of Texas. The Mexican govern
ment evidently feared that the Amert-
cans might secure control OF lands
along the border and then declare the.-
independence, as did Texas.
Despite the fact that the Mexican
war had been fought only a short time
before, the United States took no no.
tice Of the law and no protest was
made against il or against its appli-
on tinn