The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-05-21
GOVERNOR JOHNSON
REVIEWS SITUATION
Answers Letter of w. j. Bryan as to
Anti-Alien Land Bill i'm California.

Sacromento Cal, May 1i.ZExpress-
ing his determination to sign the
alien land bill recently passed by the
legislature, Gov. Hiram w. Johnson
of California today telegraphed to Sec
retary Bryan of the State departmnt
by the Legislature. The message was
in answer to the request telegraphed
to the governor by Secretary Bryan
at the direction of President Wilson
thot the bill be vetoed.
The governors message follows:
Hon. William j. Bryan,
Secretary of State,
Washington, ID. G..
your very courteous telegram re-
lating to the allen land bill reached
me late Sunday night. | take it from
our conversations and your request
made to me to withhold executive ac-
ton until opportunity was accorded
for presentations from the federal
government, that your message en-
bodies what it was your wish and the
wish Of the president to say to us
before final action.
I'm this response it is my design
most respectfully to present the sit
uation form our standpoint and the
views that actuated our legislature
in passing the bill and that impel me
10 sanction it.
A Local Problem.
For many years a very grave prob
lem, little understood in the East,
confronted California, a problem the
seriousness of which has been recog-
nized by statesmen in our nation and
has been viewed with apprehension by
the people Of this State When the
present constitution of California was
adopted more than 80 years ago, it
contained the following declaration:
The presence of foreigners Ineligible
TO become citizens of the Unietd
States is declared to be dangerous to
the well being of the State and the
Legislature shall discourage their i'm
migration by all means within its
power
"Of late years our problem from
another angle has become acute ond
the agitation has been continuous in
the last decade in reference to our
agricultural lands. until finally af-
firmative action in an attempted So
tuition become imperative This at
tempted solution is found in the ac-
tion Of our legislature in the proposed
alien land bill. In the phraseology
of this bill, in those whom it affects
i'll its scope and in its purpose, we
our moral rights and that we are do
ing only what is imperatively demand
ed for the protection and preservation
of our State. In the enactment we have
kept ever in mind our national good
faith as evidenced by existing treaties;
and our desire and anxiety have been
to act only in such fashion as would
commend us to our sister States and
would justify us to our fellow country
men.
The Two Grounds.
THE objections to our bill are
based. first upon the treaty obliga-
tions of the nation, and secondly,
upon the assertion that our aim is Of
fensive and discriminatory The pro-
test to our measure, as your telegram
states. comes from the representative
OF Japan. The bill that is now before
me provides substantially in it's first
section that all aliens eligible to cti-
Zenship under the laws of the United
states may acquire real property in
the same manner as citizens of the
United States and the second section
provides that all aliens other than
those mentioned in the first section
may acquire real property in the man
ner and to the extent and for the
purpose prescribed by any treaty now
existing between the government of
the United States and the nation or
country or subjects and may. in ad-
dltion, lease for a period of three
years lands for agricultural purpose.
Thus we have made existing treat
les part of our law and thus we have
preserved every right that any for
cign nation by international contract
has insisted upon preserving with our
national government
The treaty of 1911 with japan.
in reference to the citizens and sub