Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-04-30
JAPANESE SITUATION rs BIG.
Philippine Islands Now Loom Up as
Source Of Weakness.

toiu you 81 tendency as tney con-
template the growing difficulty of the
Japanese problem on the Pacific
coast. There is nc question that the
seriousness of this problem has
given the little navy people a set
back from which it will take them a
long time to recover
President Wilson was not disposed
at first to regard the revival of the
Japanese question in California as
alarming. 1t was gathered from his
informal White House statements on
h subject that he thought it a very
simple matter, to be solved by ex-
planning clearly to the Mikado's gov-
eminent that the United States row.
eminent has nothing to do with the
legislation passed by the States, ex
cept In so far as such legislation may
be unconstitutional or may be in OPP
position to the treaty obligations of
the country.
AS to unconstitutionality, it is OBJ
vious that the only Federal test is by
to the Supreme Court, and
as to treaty Obligations, it has been
he Wilson view that If another ma
TONS rights are violated in a State,
the only course is to seek damages
from the United States as a whole,
as was done by Italy after certain
happenings in Louisiana a few years
ago.
Nevertheless, the excitement of the
Japanese public caused the admins
tration to depart from it's original
intention to wash it's hands of the
California problem on the theory
thai the Federal government has
nothing to do with State lawmakers.
Although the President doubtless re-
tains this conviction, he has permit,
ted The administration to interest it.
self rather actively in the effort to
influence the coast legislators not to
discriminate particularly against the
Japanese.
1t Is believed that the urgency of
Secretary of State Bryan, who is an
earnest believer in the world-peace
propaganda, and is inclined against
keeping our navy up to the Roose-
welt and Taft standard OF advance
ment, has had much to do with the
Chief Executives partial change of
attitude.
Issue Must Ultimately be Met.
1T is possible that the enactment
of direct anti-yapanese ilandStitle leg
i~slation may be postponed by the Pa
cific Coast States until after the com
pletion of the Panama Canal, though
even this delay would have been i'm
probable but for the interest which
the administration at Washington
has shown in suggesting the undesir-
ability of any course which would
not apply to all other foreign ma
lions equally with Japan.
From conversations with Congress-
men from the Pacific States it Is
practically certain that public senti~
ment out there is in favor of passing
a law which will specifically prohibit
Orientals from land-ownership, and
thus leave Caucasian aliens the same
rights which now exist, and that this
sentiment will prevail before long
even If the direct issue Is postponed
now. The Coast States do not desire
to put Europeans and Asiatics on the
same basis for any length of time and
do not intend permanently to do so
even If the alternative is war with
Japan.
Nor is this feeling peculiar to the
Pacific Coast. Some of the most in
fiuential Democratic leaders In Con- |
gress, who prefer to keep their
names out Of print in connection with
h matter at this stage because
they may have 10 handle it oiiciaIIy,
have said to this correspondent In
personal conversation within the
past few days that if the issue Is that
Japan is to be allowed to dictate to
u State Legislatures, or to the Leg
islature of any one of our States, as
the price Of peace, then war is de-
cidedly preferable.
This is the view of the Southern
members almost unanimously, and
it is a view which would nave the
overwhelming support of the nation
at large. Every now and again it
gets to be the fashion toNsay that the
doctrine Of States rights is dead, butt
only some such, crucial issue as this
on the Western coast Is needed to
prove the fallacy Of the assumption.