The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-05-28
REPLY WAS GIVEN
BRYAN HANDS JAPANESE Minis.
TER HIS REPLY
CONTENTS kept SECRET

UtNlLNl0 hLTi 0LGhE l
Japan's Protest Alleges Technical
Violations of Treaty by California
Law, Weight of Objection Against
Spirit Of Legislation as Being Dis
crilninatory Against Japanese.
Secretary Bryan late Monday hand
ed Ambassador Chinda the reply Of
the United States government to the
Japanese protest against the Califor-
MIA alien land legislation. The am
bassador Immediately cabled it to
Tokyo. No intimation as to the ma
ture of the reply was given out.
Upon learning through press dis
patches that Gov. Johnson had sign
ed the Webb land act. Secretary
Bryan telegraphed Viscount Chinda
and invited him to come to the state
department to receive the reply
which he had been anxiously await
ing since the reception Of his own
note May 9. When the answer had
been delivered, the secretary and the
ambassador conferred earnestly for
an hour regarding the general aspect
of the problem. Of course the opin-
ions expressed were tentative as for
his part, since the ambassador felt
that he must be guided entirely by
the direction of the foreign Office at
Tokyo and he could only surmise
what might be the attitude of the Of
ficials at home.
Meantime it was understood that
both the Japanese protest and the
state departments answer would be
withheld from publication for the
present at least, on the ground that
it would be injudicious to submit the
question at issue to heated discussion
in the newspapers and at possible
mass meetings. The negotiations be-
tween the two governments are ex-
pected to proceed in regular fashion,
without further reference to what
takes place in California.
Viscount Chinda dispatched the
state departments reply to his gov
eminent and it is assumed that sew
eral days may elapse before the next
step is taken.
In view of the understanding be-
tween the two governments regarding
Withholding of the correspondence
from publicity none of the officials
at the White House, the state depart
ment or the Japanese embassy cared
to indicate the nature Of the Japa-
nese objections or of Secretary Bry-
ans reply.
From other sources, however, it
was gathered that while the Japa-
nese allege technical violations OF
the treaty of 1911 by the California
law these relate to minor provisions,
such as that prohibiting japanese
from inheriting property in Califor-
MIA. The real weight of objections
centres against the spirit Of the
whole legislation which is regarded
as distinctly discriminatory against
the Japanese. The spirit Of the con-
vention as well the general princi-
pies of international law is regarded
by Japan as outraged by this act.
The fact that the United States has
entered into treaty relations with
Japan is cited as an admission of
equality.
In his answer Secretary Bryan is
| understood to have recounted at
length efforts made by the admins
tration to guard against an infringe
ment of the treaty rights of the Japa-
nese.
Officials here believe that this sub
stantially has been accomplished and
that at any rate, if the Japanese gov
ernment takes a contrary view, it will
be an easy mater for it to test the
matter in American courts. This is
pointed out by those who seek to re-
move the issue from one Of treaty
construction, if the state depart
ment's view is correct, to the broad
field Of international law.
1t is realized here that the Japa-
nese government is not much con-
cerned about the exclusion of it's sub
jects from America, for they are
much needed in Manchuria, Korea
and Formosa. Underlying the whole
objection, it is said, is the intense
national pride of the Japanese, which
has been touched to the quick by the
general development of anti-Japanese
feeling on the Pacific coast.
Official circles realize that the ne
gotiations from this point forward
must be conducted with extreme eau
ton, but there is general convic-
ton that an amicable solution of the
problems involved eventually will be
reached.
Secretary Bryan said he had not
com mmunicated with Gov. Johnson
since the receipt of the governors
long message explaining his reasons
for approving the act and probably
would not do so.