The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-22
CITES THE LAWS
IN OTHER STATES
Drastic Bill VIII Be
Passed or There Will
Be No Legislation on
the Subject at All at
This Session Of Legis-
laturs.

SACRAMENTO. al, !apri! 2I.-
Governor johnson gave out tonight
the following statement regarding the
pending alien land legislation. This
is the first statement the governor has
made on the subject:
"Californians are unable TO under
stand why an act admittedly within
the Jurisdiction of the California legis.
lature, like the passage of an alien
land bill, creates tumult, confusion and
doubted right becomes an international
question. OF course, the California
Legislature would not attempt to con
travene any treaty Of the nation, nor
10 do more than has been done by the
federal government itself and many
other states To say that California
must do less, or be subjected To harsh
criticism and the charge of disrupting
friendly relations with foreign powers,
is to deny to California what has been
freely accorded to every other state in
the union, and what has never been
questioned with any other state,
Other State Laws.
"Our legislature is now considering an
alien land bill in general language and
not discriminatory. II terms are used
which are claimed to be discriminatory,
those very terms long since were made so
by many enactments and by the laws OF
the nation itself. Broadly speaking.
many states have endeavored 70 prevent
the ownership Of land by those Ineligible
to citizenship. The power to pass such
laws Is conceded, but Immediately upon
the exercise of this power by a great
sovereign state a remarkable and mex
plicable outcry is heard ali over the land
and in other lands as well.
u. S. Statute Quoted.
.'The United States by statute pro-
vided that no alien or person who Is not
a citizen of the United States, or who has
not declared his intention to become
citizen OF the United States, shall not
acquire title to land, etc, and In relation
to the District of Columbia the United
States statutes contain the same inhi-
bition.
Arizona, in 1912, passed It's act thnt
no person other than citizen or the
United States OF who has declared his
intention to become such. shall here
after acquire any land. etc, and this
statute, though passed in 1912. did not
evoke q storm of protest from well-mean-
ing phianthropists In our own land, or
threaten rupture in diplomatic relations
with any foreign nation,
''The state of Washington prevents the
a acquisition or holding OF lands by those
who are Incapable OF becoming citizens
Of the United States" and neither the
right nor the propriety of this enactment
by the state OF Washington was denied
Law of Illinois.
illinois has enacted that an alien may
hold title for the period OF sin years ana
then n he shall not have become citi~
zen of the United States proceedings shall
10 commenced for the sale OF the land
md the proceeds shall go TO the state
minnesota provides that no person
Unless he be citizen of the United States
~ declares his intention to become citl-
ZEN shall acquire land
"Missouri has similar enactment.
Oklahoma, Texas-all have
avs Of like character.
1--WE Of California ask, therefore,
houid California be singled out for at
ack when It is exercising the same risht
hat has been exercised by SO many
tutes and by the United States itself2
"Iapan until 1910 had an absolute law
oJio Pff2ct
vet What the United States govern
nent has done. what has been done by
nv states OF the union. what has been
one by Japan--all Of which admittedly
as been in pursuance Of unauestioned
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