The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-07-18
BRYAN DELIVERS REPLY
ANSWER TO JAPANESE NOTES.
Rejoinder is So Framed as To Re-
duce Nearly All Issues to Ques-
tions For Courts.


Washington, July 1.-THE Amer
lean reply to the last two Japanese
notes on the California anti-alien
land law was delivered yesterday by
Secretary Bryan to Ambassador
Chlnda who at once cabled it to
TOXIC. AS in the case of the preced-
Ing notes, the contents of the latest
one were withheld from publication.
There is some expectation in Off
cial circles that the delivery of this
note will conclude the negotiations
on this subject between the two coun-
tries, for the present, at least, If not
altogether 1t is declared that the
American reply to the various points
of objection to the California lcgis-
lation has been made so complete as
to remove most of them from the
field OF discussion. Even in cases
where the Japanese contentious have
not been manifestly completely neg
ativea the expert diplomatists are
said to have so framed their re-
sponses as to reduce the points to
clear issues which probably can be
adjusted only on the basis of Judi
cial decisions
The result has been reached
through the exchange of FIVE notes,
the negotiations beginning May 8
last with the original protest by
Japan against the projected alien
land owning act by the California
legislature. This elected a reply
from Secretary Bryan on May 10 or
as soon as he had been advised of
the actual signature of the Webb act
by Governor Johnson. On June 4 the
Japanese government filed it's re-
joinder and on July this was sup
IL a. IL
of the arguments.
Unless the Japanese foreign Office
concludes that there is something in
the American note delivered yester-
day requiring immediate attention
and reply, probably there will be no
further diplomatic exchanges for at
least another month At the eXpira-
tion of that time the Webb alien
land owning act will become effec-
tive and the way will be opened for a
judicial test of it's constitutionality
The state department is looking to
the Japanese government at least to
take the initiative in securing a Judi
cial determination of the question as
to whether this act is in conflict with
existing treaties OF whether il vio-
lated privileges to which the Japan
ese are entitled under the broad prin-
ciples of international law. While
the Japanese negotiations have un-
officially expressed the opinion that
il was the duty of the American gov
ernment to make this test following
a precedent established during the
Roosevelt administration in connec-
tion with the exclusion of Japanese
pupils from the American public
schools the state department has de-
I clined to accept this view.
Officials suggested that the Japan
ese government would be in a better
position to resume the consideration
of its grievances by diplomatic means
in the event of an unsuccessful liti-
cation If the test were initiated and
prosecuted by n Japanese resident of
. California in a private capacity, even
though actually financially supported
by the Japanese government.
Some apprehension has been eX-
pressed by the Japanese over the
difficulty OF securing an early Judi
cial decision on constitutionality OF
the California legislation. The state
department officials, however, say
they are prepared in good faith to
facilitate the proceedings by every
proper means. even to the extent of
causing the attorney general 20 seek
\ an advancement on the docket of the
supreme court of such a case.