Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-01
Until Statutes are Clarified
Administration is Not De-
termined as to What
Course to Pursue,
PASS SUBSTITUTE
ALIEN LAND BILL
Within Three Minutes After
Conference Closed Cali
fornia Senate Adopted
the Measure.

SoUSl Sdl., kAPIA OUs"-AR1S-i
fornias first step toward the enact
to the advice OF Secretary Of State
taken last night within three minutes
after Secretary Bryan told the iegis-
lative conference that his oficial mes
sage had beer spoken.
The senate, before which the Bird-
sall-Thompson bill was penned In =
hurried session and within three min
utes voted to substitute for that
measure the new draft known as the
Webb act, which was completed by
Attorney General Webb only yester.
day. The substitute was adopted -
an amendment and the bill sent to the
printer with rush order.
Owing to the absence OF Secretary
Bryan in San Francisco, whittier he
went today as the guest OF the Panamar
Pacific exposition company, 1t is the
plan Of the senate leaders to take no
further action on the bill until Thurs
day when it will come up in the reg
ular course Of business and undoubt-
edly pass, it Is said.
II will then 60 to the assembly ana
finally to the governor, who has
STATED that he Will sign the measurs
| ct once.
Restricts Farm Purchases.
The phrase ineligible to citizen.
ship" is avoided in the Webb bill BY
providing two descriptions OF aliens
and defining the rights OF each -
follows:
Il All aliens eligible to citizen
ship may acquire and hold land in the
same manner as citizens OF the United
States.
"2. All other aliens may acquire.
possess and transfer land in the man.
ner and to the extent and for the pur,
poses prescribed by any treaty now
existing between the government 0t
the United States and the nation or
country of which such alien ts
citizen or subject"
AS to the treaty between the United
States and Japan, which specifies that
land may be acquired or leased only
for residential purposes or for
factories and shops. the act is held TO
be a raid restriction upon tho
acquisition Of farming lands by the
Japanese.
Senator Leroy A. Wright, republi.
can, who opposed the bill. declares
the wording the act 10 subterfuge In
tended to deceive the Japanese. Dr..
David Starr Jordan. president OF stan
ford university, also declares the meas
ure carries the sting OF discrimination,
contrary to Secretary Bryan's advice.
Fear Test Case.
In the ineligibility OF Japanese sub.
jects to become citizens OF the United
States under the laws OF this govern
ment Is the keynote and principal
strength of the substitute Webb alien,
land bill in spite OF the fact that the
words objected to by Secretary OF
State Bryan are not used in the act.
The progressive leaders admitted
that the proposed law would be inef.
fective II the Japanese brought test
suit before the United States supreme
court according to their announced
intention, and were successful In
establishing their right to become
citizens. n
Dispatches from Washington yester-
day indicating that the federal al
ministration would look with, favor
upon such test suit aroused fearsSol
grave consequences in case the
Japanese succeeded in obtaining de.
cision In their favor.
"It would be serious mistake for
the federal government to confer
citizenship rights upon the Japanese
said Senator Thompson, a leading pro-
gressiye. Feeling In California has
reached an acute stage and such =
step by the government undoubtedly
would result In reprisals OF various
kinds, with far reaching consequences.
Bryan Lauds Johnson.
~ shall take back to Washington
to President Wilson a message OF how
California has treated his representa-
tive" said Secretary of State Bryan
last night to members Of the assembly
and Governor Hiram w. johnson, who
were guests OF Speaker Young at =
dinner.
what delightful message II will
be, too. will tell him how the legis-
lature and the governor greeted his
envoy in the same spirit In which he
was sent. cannot help but feel graft
fled at my reception"
Secretary Bryan highly eulogixed
Governor Johnson In referring to Cali
=