Norwich bulletin., 1913-04-30
New Alien Land
 Bill Prepared
RECOGNIZES TREATY RIGHTS OF
 JAPANESE.
OBJECTION IS REMOVED
Phrase "ineIisibIe to Citizenship" Does Net Appear-Resuit of Conference of Messrs. Bryan and Johnson.

Sacramento, Calif., April 29-The possibility of an amicable adjustment of the alien land controversy by means of new bill, drawn in strict conform ity with the treaty between Japan and the United States, confronted tonight the third secret conference of Secre- tary of State Bryan with Governor Johnson and the California legislature. The conference was called for S.3O o'clock.
 Attorney General U. S. Webb draft ed the new measure at the suggestion of Governor Johnson and a copy was placed immediately in the hands of Secretary Bryan. The term ineligible to citizenship, which is declared by Secretary Bryan to be odious to the Japanese, is not included, and progress sive republican leaders are confident they have arrived at a solution of the problem that will receive the endorse ment of President Wilson.
 Features of the Bill.
 Secretary Bryan declined to com ment upon the new bill except in the The principal features of the bill are as follows:
 1 All aliens eligible to citizenship may acquire and hold land in the same manner as citizens of the United states.
 2 All other aliens may acquire and hold land 'in the manner and to the extenf and for the purposes prescrib ed by any treaty now existing be- tween the government of the United States and the nation or country of which such alien is a citizen sub ject
 8 Corporations composed of aliens other fhan those who are eligible to citizenship may acquire and hold land only according to the terms of exist ing treaties.
 Present holdings of aliens, regard less Of their rights to citizenship, are protected.
 5 The state specifically reserves it's sovereign right to enact any and all laws relating to the acquisition or holding of real property by aliens.
 Terms of Japanese Treaty.
 Attorney General Webb worked up on the theory that there could be no objection to writing into the statute the specific limitations of the Japan csc treaty of 1911.
 Under the terms of this treaty, Japanese subjects are permitted to own houses and lands for residen- tial purposes, factories ,manufactories and shops," according to MT. Webb. Another clause permits JapaIt,se sub Jects to lease land for residential and commercial purposes
 These are the only stipu1ations made. and it is the belief of the at torney general that the rights of Jap anese 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 a Japanese for agricultural purposes, ex- cept that which is already owned, or for any other purposes except those set forth in the agreement between the nations.
 Explaining the wording of the sub stitute bill, MT. Webb said:
 Meets Requirement. of Treaties.
 "Our theory is that at the time the treaty was formed, Japan asked for all the rights as to ownership of land in California that that nation desired for her subjects and that the treaty it now stands represents all that Japan asked and all that the United States v7t.s willing to grant.
 This act does not draw the line up on aliens who are ineligible to citizen ship. Those words are not used. It gives not only to Japanese, but to every nation whose subjects are ine1i- gible to citizenship under the laws of the United States, the full rights to ownership of land in California that the treaties between the United States and such nations give.''
 New Act Will Serve It's Purpose.
 It is generally believed here that the new act would accomplish the ends said to be desired by the people of the state, namely, prevention of the furth- CT acquisition by Japanese subjects of farming lands and ranches.