The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-05-20
ANSWER TO JAPAN
IS NOW KNOWN
TO M|kAOO
Prompt Action BY Bryan When
Gov. Johnson Signs Bill
TEXT NOT DISCLOSED
Japan's Resentment Said to Be
Largely Due to Offended Ma.
tional Pride.

Washington, May 20.-Secretary
Bryan late yesterday handed Embas-
/ sador Chinda the reply of the United
| States government to the Japanese
| protest against the California alien
land legislation. The ambassador i'm
mediaely cabled it to Toxic. No init
nation as to the nature of the reply
was given out. Upon learning
through press dispatches that Gov.
Johnson had signed the Webb lano
| act, Secretary Bryan telephoned Wis
! count Chinda and invited him TO go
to the state department to receive the
reply, which he had been anxiously
awaiting since the presentation of his
own note on the 9th.
When the answer had been deliver
| ed the secretary and the ambassador
conferred earnestly for an hour re-
garding the general aspect of the
problem which they are trying to
solve. OF course the opinions eX-
| pressed were tentative, as for his
part the ambassador felt that he
must be guided entirely by the direc-
tons of the foreign office at Toxic
and he would only surmise what
might be the attitude of the officials
at home.
Meanwhile 1t was understood that
both the Japanese protest and the
state departments answer would be
withheld from publication for the
present at least on the ground that it
would be injudicious to submit the
delicate questions at issue to heated
discussion in the newspapers and at
possible mass-meetings. From other
sources, however, it was gathered
that while the Japanese alleged tech.
meal violations of the treaty of 1911
by the California law, these relate to
minor provisions such as that prohi-
biting Japanese from inheriting prop
erty in California
The real weight of objection is
against the spirit OF the whole legis-
! lation which is regarded as distinctly
discriminatory against the japanese.
/ While it is not alleged that the trea-
! ty in terms prohibits such discrimina
ton, yet the spirit of the convention
as well as the general principles of in
ternational law are regarded by Jap
i an as outraged by this Webb act.
In his answer. Secretary Bryan is
! understood TO have recounted at
length the efforts made by the admin
istration to guard against an infringe
ment of the treaty rights of the Jap
anese. Officials at Washington be
lieve that this substantially has been
accomplished through the amend
ment of the original Webb act and
that, at any rate, If the japanese gov
eminent takes contrary view it will
be an easy matter for it to test the is
STE in the American courts.
1t is realized at Washington that
the Japanese government is not very
much concerned about the exclusion
or its subjects from America, for
they are much needed in Manchuria,
Korea and Formosa. Underlying the
whole objection, II is said, is the in.
tense national pride of the Japanese,
which has been touched to the quick
by the general development Of anti.
Japanese feeling on the Pacific coast
Secretary Bryan said yesterday he
had not communicated with Gov John
son since the receipt of the COVER.
nor's long message explaining his
reasons for deciding to sign the act
and probably would not do so.