Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-23
TREAT|ESATTACKED
|NHOUSE BY S|SSON
Representative From Missis-
sippi Would Preserve Law
Making Powers of States.
TALK NOT INTENDED
TO BE ''WAR SPEECH"
Has No Intention, Either, of Embar-
RAISING Administration in Con-
troversy, With Japan.

Representative Sisson of Mississippi
made his announced Japanese speech to-
day in the House. President Wilson
after Mr. Sisson recently made war
speech called the representative to the
White House and asked him not to
make another speech that might COM
plicate the diplomatic negotiations with
Japan or influence the public mind. Mr.
Sisson disclaimed any intention of
making A war speech but attacked
the position that the treaty mai king
power superseded the law-making powers
of the sovereign states.
Sisson declared he took his position
not because the Japanese were in
volved'; that he would take it toward
England. France Germany any
other nation. and that it only required
patience and cool heads for both coun-
tries to arrive at an amicable. fair and
just settlement of all differences.
IF any nation" he said should de-
eide that it will dictate to us our land
laws, then we would be unworthy of
national existence If we submitted to
such dictation. Does any one claim
that this is a declaration of war be-
cause ] announce this truth?
Beyond Authority of Government.
1T is no declaration of war for the
United States government to decline to
override the rights of a sovereign state
at the dictation of a foreign power. If
the United States government should de-
liver a state over to the mercies of a
flood of aliens from any nation. then
maintain that the federal government
would have prostituted its authority. Is
the mere announcement Of this principle
a declaration of war:
Nothing has been further from my
mind than to embarrass or to tend to
render more difficult the peaceful solu-
ton of whatever differences, real or
imaginary, may exist between the friendly
government of japan and our own gov
eminent"
Mr. Sisson pleaded for the open door
on treaty sessions of the Senate.
1T the President and Senate can make
such a treaty. let us tear down every door
| of secrecy. Let us require the President
| to publish every letter and telegram bear
Ing upon a contemplated treaty on the
very moment of it's dispatch. Let the
clOture of the Senate be removed. Throw
open the DOORS.
| Mr. Sisson made a lengthy argument
purporting to show the possibility of cor
poration control of land which would be
made possible by allowing the importa-
| ton of ''cheap alien labor
Warns Against Land Monopoly.
Many. of these large employers OF
| labor" he said would be delighted to
have the federal government through its
| treaty making power let down the bars
| and let the alien come in. What would
| become Of the American farmer If the
great corporations of the country should
| buy all the best lands and cultivate
| them with Monaghan. Chinese. Hindu,
| Japanese and other cheap allen labor?
| In California individuals and corpora
! tons owning great tracts of land are cul-
| tivating them with Hindustani, Chinese.
| Mexicans and Japanese. 1t is. this class
| of land owners and land ponopolists who
! are opposed to all restrictions upon labor
| importation into this country.
| THE rich and the powerful who pur-
chase labor will have their fortunes
vastly increased by having all bar
| riers to cheap labor broken down.
They know that the quickest and surest
| route is through the treaty making
power because they only deal first
with one man. the President. and one
body. two thirds of the Senate. l do
not want this government to be de-
stroyed through the treaty ma ing
4 mower" Mr.. Sisson concluded. so
/ gentlemen of the House. / have taken
this position. not because the Japanese
are involved in this controversy, but
would take this position If England
lGermany. France or any other nation
Ion earth were involved"