The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1913-04-18
JAPANESE PROTEST
At CALIFORNIA
Formal Representations to the
U. S. Government.
AMBASSADOR IS INSTRUCTED
Declared the Proposed California Land
Legislation win BE Disastrous
For Trade Between the
Two Countries.

Toxic. -viscount Chinda, japanese
Ambassador to the United States, was
instructed by the Japanese Foreign
Office to make formal Representative
lat Washington in regard to the anti
japanese legislation of the State of
California.
Irritation over the California land
Legislation is increasing throughout
the country. All the political parties
have sent Populations to the Premier
and to the Foreign Minister asking
them to adopt measures to preserve
the Japanese treaty and interests in
America.
The Constitutional party has pro-
posed an anti California boycott and
the Chamber Of Commerce here has
|telegraphed to similar bodies in San
Francisco, Los Angeles and elsewhere,
asserting that the result OF the legis-
lation win be disastrous to trade be-
tween the United States and Japan.
The Japanese Premier told the
deputation of the conservative party
which called upon him that ne trusted
implicitly the high sense of justice
and fairness of America, while Baron
Nobuaki Maxine, the Foreign Minis
ter, spoke in the same strain.
The newspapers here contend that
the proposed California legislation is
as much breach of treaty
as the Panama Canal bill, while the
foreign press retorts that It is an
object lesson for Japan In reciprocity,
since foreigners are not allowed to
own land in Japan in spite OF the law
passed in 1910, which has never been
promulgated.
Bryan Noncommittal.
Washington. Secretary Bryan was
noncommittal when told of the Japa-
nese Governments instructions to
Ambassador Chinda. He expressed
only the sentiment that It would be
time to consider formal representa-
tions after the laws in question had
been passed by the California Legis-
lature and were under consideration
by the Governor.
dent Wilson he had telegram from
Senator Sanford, of California, con-
tanning assurances that the alien land
bill, when finally passed, would not
have provisions to conflict witch any
treaty obligations between the United
States and Japan.
President Wilson has had one con-
ference SO far with Viscount Chinda
and probably will have others in the
near future. in view of the Ambassa-
doris latest instructions regarding the
California alien land-holding legisla-
ton.
The latest instructions to the Am
bassador from Toxic are said to look
only to the continuance by the en-
bassy Of the course it has pursued
from the beginning, Of relying upon
moral suaston and a dignified presen-
tation of the unfortunate impression
produced in Japan by this unexpect-
ed recrudeScence of anti-Japanese
feeling on the Pacific Coast
AS far as can be gathered the Ad-
ministration has listened with SYM
pathetic interest to these personal
representations, and while without
legal authority at this moment to
interfere with legislation in Califor-
mia 1t has not hesitated to bring per-
sonal influence to cause the modifica-
ton of such features of the proposed
legislation as threaten to lead to I'M
just discrimination against Japanese
citizens.