Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-05-15

tract. has insisted upon preserving
with our national government.
"The treaty Of 1911 with Japan. in
reference to the citizens and subjects
of each country. provides that thc5
shall have liberty to own. or lease,
or occupy houses. manufactures,
warehouses and shops To employ
agents of their choice. To lease land
for residential and commercial pur-
poses and generally TO do anything
incident to or necessary for trade up
on the same terms as native citizens
or subjects. submitting themselves to
the laws and regulations there estab-
lished
I'VE assume that the right of Jap
anose 10 own real property for the
purposes described is absolute in our
state. and we seek TO deal only with
our agricultural lands. We emhody
the treaty in our law and we add TO
II permission to lease our agricultural
landa fer 1le period OF three years.
aWhere such extraordinary care has
been exercised to preserve honor ana
good faith. in the very words Of the
contract made hy the protesting ma
tion with our own, and to do more by
authorizing leases of agricultural
lands. IL would seem that We ought
not to be open to any accusation Of
violation Of treaty rights. or desire 10
trench upon that which belongs alone
TO the national government. or when
might become matter of internal
tional policy.
"By the laws adopted We offer no
offense. we make no discrimination.
The offense and discrimination are
contained. il is claimed, in the use o.
the words eligible to citizenship ana
in making distinction between those
who are eligible to citizenship ana
those who are not We do not men
ton the japanese or any particular
race. The constitution Of Califofhla
in 1879, made its distinction and
there has never been protest or oplec-
ton. The naturalization laws OF the
United Stataes, long since, without
demur from any nation. determined
who were and who were not ellslp'e
To citizenship. If inydious discrlhaih-
alton ever were made in TINS regard
the United States made II when ths
United states declared who were ana
who were not eligible to citizenship,
and when we but follow and depend
upon the statutes of the tnlteu
United states and their determination
as to eligibility to citizenship we can
not be accused of indulging in inVidl-
ous discrimination May J venture 70
call to your attention the lmhlisi"-
ton law now pending in congress
which passed both house of the as'
congress, where apparently cer'u''
classes. who shall be excluded from
our country. are described as per
sons who can not become eligible uh-
der existing laws to become cillzeuS
Of the United States
"At this very moment the national
legislature. without protest or ople.
tion--indeed, It is published IN Cai-
iforna, by express consents using
the terms that are claimed in Caifor-
MAS law to be offensive and discrim-
inatory.
AT least three states In the union
have. in the past, enacted laws simi-
lar to the contemplated law Of Cali
fornia and the enactments Of those
other states have been without OBJ
lection or protest. That the protest
IS now made in respect to California
hut emphasizes the acuteness Of
the problem confronting California
and demonstrates that California IS
differently viewed from other states
Of the union, and that If discrimina-
ton exists it is discrimination against
California.
I'VE insist that Justly no offense
can be taken by any nation to this
law and more particularly does this
seem to MS clear in the instance Of a
nation like Japan. that by its own
law prevents acquisition of land by
aliens. 1t is most respectfully sub
mitted that. after all, the question is
not whether ary offense has been
taken, but whether Justly it should be
taken. voice, think. the
sentiment Of the majority Of tho +
legislature Of this state when !
say that if 1t had been believed that
offense could justly be taken by any I
patton to the proposed law. that law +
would not have been enacted.
we 0f California believe firmly
that in our legislative dealings with
this alien land question We have vio-
lated absolutely no treaty rights we