The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-05-01
PASS LAND BILL
DESPITE BRYAN
Adopted by California Senate
BY Viva Voce Vote.
MAY NOT OFFEND JAPAN
New Measure Does Not Contain ''in.
eligible to Citizenship Phrase and
Observes Present Treaty.

New Measure Does Not Contain "in.
eligible to Citizenship Phrase and
Observes Present Treaty.
Sacramento, CAL, May l. - II the
purpose of the visit of Secretary OF
State Bryan was to sidetrack alien
land legislation at this session and
thus offset the protest of Japan, his
mission has been failure, although
the outcome may yet be an adjustment
that will satisfy Japanese objections
and be acceptable to President WI
son.
The final conference between Secre-
the members of the legislature closed
Tuesday night. Within three minutes
and before most of the spectators
knew what had occurred, Senator
Boynton, president pro tenn. of the
upper house, convened the senate and
a substitute land bill, drafted by Attor-
ney General Webb, which would re-
strict the right of aliens ineligible to
citizenship under the laws of the Unit
ed States to hold real property in Cali
fornia, was adopted as a substitute
for the pending measure by unanimous
viva voce vote.
Owing to the absence of Mr.. Bryan,
who Is in San Francisco, it Is the
plan of the senate leaders to take no
further action on the bill until Mr..
Bryan returns, when it will come up
in the regular course of business, and
tits said undoubtedly will be passed.
1t will then go to the assembly, and
finally to the governor, who has said
he will sign the measure at once.
The phrase, ineligible to citizen
ship" is avoided in the bill by provii-
ing two descriptions OF aliens, those
eligible to citizenship and "all other
aliens" and defining the rights OF
each Despite this avoidance of the
Objectionable term ineligible to citi-
zenship," DIR. David Starr Jordan.
president of the Leland Stanford uni
versity, and others. say the measure
carries the sting of discrimination.
contrary to Secretary Bryan's advice.
Attorney General Webb worked on
his draft of measure on the theory
that there could be no objection to
writing into the statute, the specific
limitations of the treaty of 1911. Un-
der this treaty, Japanese subjects are
permitted to own houses and lands
for residential purposes, factories.
manufactures and ships according to-
A4- webb. Another clause permits
japanese subjects to lease land for
Residential and commercial pur.
poses"
These are the only stipulations
made, and it is the belief of the attor-
ney general that the rights of Japa-
nese subjects to land ownership in
the United States stop at this point.
Under this construction of the treaty
no land can be owned or leased by
Japanese for agricultural purposes ex-
cept what is already owned, or for any
other purposes except those set forth
In the agreement between the nations.
Secretary Bryan brought into the
final conference further messages from
President Wilson, but they met with
no response from the legislators. At
the close of the secret meeting Cover
nor Johnson and a number of the
state administration leaders said their
opinions remained the same.
President Wilson's messages were in
the form of replies to questions asked
of Secretary Bryan on Monday. In
answer to the question as to the effect
of law containing the words "ineli-
gible to citizenship" would have upon
the federal government, President
Wilson sent the following reply to
Secretary Bryan:
II can only say that l cannot as
sumo that the representations hereto
fore made to the governor and the
legislature, and which your presence
In Sacramento must necessarily have
greatly emphasized, will be disregard
ed, and SO render it necessary to con-
slider that question"
That was taken as the nearest ap-
proach to a threat of danger that has
been made since the conference be-
gan.