Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-05-15
JOHNSON TO SIGN
ALIEN LAND BILL
Governor of California Tele-
graphs Secretary of State
Bryan Long Explanation.
FEELS IT HIS PLAIN Duly
Cites Federal and State Laws
Says if Amy Discrimination
Exists. 1t Is against
California.
FEELS IT HIS PLAIN Duly

Sacramento, Cal. May n--Expressing
his determination to sign the alien land
bill, recently passed by the Legislature.
Governor Hiram ". johnson OF Cali
fornia to-day telegraphed to Secretary
Of State Bryan a long explanation OF the
action taken by the Legislature. The
message was in answer to the request
| telegraphcd to the Governor by Score
tary Bryan a the direction OF President
! Wilson that the bin be vetoed The Gov
ernor's message follows:
'Hon. VIM. j. Bryan. secretary Of
state. Washington, b. c.:
"Your very courteous telegram relat-
ing to the alien land bill reached me late
Sunday night. | take it from our con-
versations and your request made to me
| to withhold executive action until OPP
portunity was accorded for the presenta-
tions from the federal government that
your message embolies what it was
your wish. and the wish Of the Presi-
dent to say to us before final action
In this response, it is my design most
| respectfully to present the situation
from our standpoint and the views that
actuatod our Legislature in passing the
bill and that impcl mr to sanction it,
For many years a very grave prob
| lem little understood in the East, has
confronted California; a problem the ser
| lousness of which has been realized by
| statesmen in our nation and has been
viewed with apprehension by the people
| of this state. When the present const-
| tuition of California was adopted more
| than 80 years ago it contained the fol-
lowing declaration: The presence of for
eigners ineligible to become citizens OF
the United States is declared to be dan
gerous to the well-being Of the State and
the Legislature shall discourage their
immigration by all means within its
power
| PROBLEM HAS BECOME ACUTE.
"Of late years our problem from an
other angle has become acute and the
agitation has been continuous in the last
decade in reference to our agricultural
lands until finally affirmative action in
an attempted solution became impera-
tive This attempted solution is found
in the action of our Legislature in the
passage Of the alien land bill. In the
phrascoIogy Of this b'n in those whom
, It affects, in its scope and in its pur-
pose, we believe We are within our legal
and our moral rights, and that We are
doing only what Is lmperatively demand
ed for the protection and preservation
Of our State. In this 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 com
mend to our sister States and would
Justify us to our fellow countrymen.
The objections to our bill are based
, first upon the treaty obligations of tn,
- nation and secondly, upon the assertion
=. hat our act Is offensive and discrlmina
r. tory. The protest to our measure, al
: your telegram states. comes from tn
. representatives. of Japan. The bill tina
Il Is now before me provides substantial,
, in its first section that all aliens eligible
to citizenship under the laws OF th
United States may acquire real propert!
in the same manner as citizens of tn
United States and the second section
provides that all aliens other than thos
, mentioned in the frst section, may ac
quire real property in the manner and t
| the extent and for the purpose pre-
scribed by any treaty now existing he
tween the government of the Unite
G States and the nation or country O
d which such aliens are citizens or subjects
d and may in addition lease for perio
d of three years lands for agriculture
= purposes
J. Thus we have made existing treatie
a part of our law, and thus we haV
e preserved every right that any foreig
n nation by international contract has in
If sisted upon preserving with our nationa
L government.
>, DEAL ONLY WITH AGRICULTURE.
1t THE treaty of 1911 with Japan. IN refer
. ence to the citizens and subjects Of eac
n country, provides that they shall haV
0 liberty to own, or lease, or occupy houses
IN manufactures, warehouses and shops. t
4 employ agents of their choice; to leas
land for residential and commercial pun
,e noses and generally to do anything inc
3. dent to or necessary for trade upon tn
lie same terms as native citizens or subject!
er submitting themselves to the laws an
regulations there established
It I'VE assume that the right Of Japanes
t. to own real property for the purpose d,
" scribed is absolute in our State and W
J. seek to deal only with our agriculture
le lands,
&c I'VE embody the treaty in our law an
IN we add to it permission to lease our agr
,s cultural lands for the period Of thre
- years.
Where such extraordinary care ha
. been exercised to preserve honor and GOO
=. faith in the very words of the contra'
-, made by the protesting nation with on
- own, and to do more by authorizln
," leases of agricultural lands, IT would seel
that we ought not to be open to any acc'
10 sation of violation of treaty right. or
er desire to entrench upon that which b
N longs alone to the national government {
which might become matter of intern'
n tional policy.
I'd "By the law adopted, we offer l
n onense; we make no discrimination. TT
IN onense and discrimination is containe
Lit is claimed. In the use of the wore