The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-04-24
ASKS CALIFORNIA L
70 OBEY TREATIES
Wilson Requests Gov. Johnson to
Heed Japan's Protest.
WANTS LAND BILL ALTERED
Secretary Bryan sends Message TO
Cut "IneIigibIe to Citizenship"
Out Of Alien Measure Pend
Ing In Legislature.

Washington, April 21.-PTesident
Wilson and Secretary Bryan, follow
ing precedent OF previous administra-
lions here, made known their views
on the International character of the
legislation pending In California by
which Japanese would be prevented
from owning land in that state,
In a telegram to. Gov. Hiram John
son, made public both at Sacramento
and Washington, Secretary Bryan ex-
pressed the view of President Wilson
that the California assembly bill
might be construed as a violation or
treaty obligations with Japan, while
the senate's measure as drawn would
not be Objectionable II alien land leg
islation were to be enacted at all.
Text Of Bryan's Telegram.
The president desires me to say"
Mr., Bryan's message read that
while he fully recognizes the right OF
the people Of California to legislate
according to their judgment on the
subject Of land tenure, he. feels II his
duty to urge a recognition OF the in
ternational character of such legisla.
ton.
Being anxious to preserve and
strengthen the long:standing friendly
relations existing between this coun.
try and the nations Of the Orient, he
very respectfully. but most earnestly,
Cd to I'M f. "a Of tho words
ineligible to citizenship He asks
that you bring this view to the atten.
tion of the legislature.
He believes the senate bill. as tele-
graphed to the department Of state, Is
greatly to be preferred, That bill
limited ownership to citizens and to
those who had declared their inten.
ton to become citizens.
dol, Sees Bias Against Japanese. r..
The kilograms and other informa.
ton from ofheial circles Indicate
clearly that the provisions In the as
sembly bill by, which aliens ineligible
to citizenship would be prohibited
from owning land we're regarded as a
distinct Discrimination against Jap.
aneseS who are denied the right OF
naturalization The language of the
senate bill restricting ownership OF
land to citizens OF the United States or
aliens who have declared their in.
tention Of be coming citizehs" is APP
proved by the president, as he has
discovered that this Is the phraseol,
sgy OF statutes in force In New York,
Deiewsre, Kansas, Minnesota, Ken.
lucky, Washington, Missouri and the
District Of Columbia. .-a- ".<. =. -.
An these laws make ii impossible
for Japanese to own land until they
are able to declare their intention OF
becoming citizens, a privilege which
the lower courts have not given them
on the ground that they were not
'of white OF African descent"
Way to Avoid Difficulty.
BY enacting a law similar to those
in force In several states California
would not embsrrass the federal gov.
eminent because no protest hithers
to has. been made against these stat.
utes and the whole problem becomes
one Of naturalization. 1t is not un.
likely. however, that the Japanese
government will attempt now to have
the question of naturalization pressed
to higher courts.
Alien Land Bills Put over.
Sacramento, Cal, April 21.--Further
action on the anti.alien land bills pend.
ing before the California legislature
has been deferred until the latter part
of this week This decision was
reached because word was expected
from Washington in relation to the
protest of the Japanese government
against possible infringement OF the
treaty rights of Japanese citizens In
this sttae. Reports of the popular ssi
tation In Japan over the proposed &C
ton in California provoked consider.
able comment about the legislative
chambers. The violence of these pro-
tests as well as the inquiries as to
the effect Of the proposed bills upon
other alien interests in California led
to the belief here that President VIII
son might nnd 1t expedient to indicate
his views or suggest course of &C
ton tending to relieve the situation.
The postponement applies also to
the various amendments to the bills
that have been offered and discussion
of these has gone over. too A pen OF
the senate disclosed an Overwhelming
majority in favor of an antialien bill.
but scarcely a handful OF senator's in.
dicated a wish to include in its provi-
sions Foreigners of foreign corpora.
tons controlled by persons eligible
to citizenship. The campaign in be
half Of European investments in the
state, It was asserted, had begun to
be- reflected in the change OF opinion
among individual members In this re-
gard
Missouri Town 10 Burned.