Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-05-22
ALIEN LAND BILL
BECOMES A LAW
Signed by Governor Johnson
and Will Go into Effect
on August 10.
COMPLICATIONS BESET IT
Triple Hostility within Califor-
MIA Itself Which May Delay
Its Enforcement until
November 1, 1914.
COMPLICATIONS BESET IT

Sacramento, Cal, May 1S--Califorr.as !
alien land bill became the law of the |
State to-day Against the protests OF
Japan and the representations of Presi- !
dent Wilson and his personal envoy, Sec
rotary of State Bryan, Governor Johnson
signed the bill and 30 days after the adj
journment of the Legislature, or on
August 10, the act becomes operative.
While the Governor was signing the
bill, the steamship Korea was passing
through the Golden Gate, bearing two
distinguished Japanese, one a former
pupil of President Wilson, on a mission
of investigation
Meanwhile complications, national and
sectional, beset the bill. Overshadowing
all is the outcome of the negotiations
now in progress between this country
and Japan. which has interpreted the act
as discriminatory and offensive
Within California itself the act has en-
countered triple hostility. which may de-
lay It's activity until November !. 1914.
Democrats opposed State legislation at
this time, as matter of party regular
ity. Nevertheless so plain to them seems
to be the demand for the bill that after
cXhausting all parliamentary tactics the
Senate gave but one adverse democratic
vote, and the Assembly two.
AS an expression of this opposition,
Theodore Bell, late democratic candidate
for governor and former chairman of
the democratic State central committee,
has issued an invitation to his party to
submit the issue to the people by in
voking the referendum against the bill.
He grounds his opposition on two con-
tentions; one that the bill Is insufficient
ly drastic because it permits leases run
ming three years; and. second, because
at the present time it embarrasses the
national administration.
CALLS IT FAINT HEARTED
| The Asatic exclusion league. an
ganization of which the president is
Olaf A. Tveitmoe recently convicted of
completely in the national dynamite plot
originating in Indianapolis, announced
| last night that It would invoke the
referendum purely because 1t opposes
| ing the bill:
Thirdly. the powerful Panama-Pacifc
International Exposition company back
ed by many chambers of commerce, has
placed itself on record in opposition to
the bill on the ground that 1t is viola
ton of faith.
In reply to this threatened hostility,
/ Governor johnson said to-day, in sign
ing the ball:
california, for the first time In its
history has an anti-alien law. Any man
who wishes another kind of law may con-
sistently invoke the initiative. No man
} who really wishes an anti-alien law will
sign the referendum as to this law.
IF another law is sought, it may be
presented by means of the initiative and
in the meantime the present law will be
in operation
The two visiting Japanese are Soroku
Ebaraw. a member of the constitutional
party and the House Of peers, and Ayao
Iattor Of the nationalist party ana a
member of the lower house. on their
arrival here they made it plain that they
did not come in any official capacity,
but merely as representatives of their
parties. with view to learning the ac-
tual conditions and prevailing sentiment
in California. Mr.. Hattori said:
"Our plans are somewhat indefinite.
We may see Governor Johnson and l ex-
pect to visit President Wilson at his
summer home before I return. / was
the President was lecturing there and his
course was one of those I attended"
BRYAN DELIVERS REPLY.
Washington. May l9-Secretary Bryan
late to-day handed Ambassador Chinda
the reply OF tho United States government
to the Japanese protest against the Can
fornia alien land legislatio. Tho ambassa
dor Immediately cabled 1t to Toxic. M
. intimation as to the nature of the reply
VAS given out.
Upon learning through press dcspatche
that Governor Johnson had signed thu
Webb land act. Secretary BRYAN tele
phoned Viscount Chnda and invited hin
, to come to the state department to TO
, ceive the rocly which he Eaa been await
, Ing since the presentation of his own not
on May g.
When the answer had been delivered
A, the secretary and the ambassador con
ferrcd earnestly for an hour regardins
the general aspect OF the problem which
they are trying to 9olve. OF course, tn
, opinions expressed were tentative, as tn
Ambassador felt that he must be guided
, entirely by the directions of the forelGr
/ office AT Toxic. Meanwhile it was under
stood that both the Japanese protest ant
the state departments answer would b.
withheld from publication for the presen
. at least on the ground that it would b
, liniudcous to submit the delicate Ques
tions at issue to heated discussion in tn
. newspapers and at possible mass meet
. ings.
. The negotiations between the two gov
=, ernmcnts are now expected to process
a in regular fashion without further refer
( cnce to what takes place in California
k Upon returning to the embassy, Niscoun
: Chinda despatched the state depart
II ment's reply to his own government an
% It is assumed that several days ma
$ elapse before the next step is taken
d FORECAST OF POINTS,
In view of the understanding betwee
u the two governments regarding the with
. holding OF the correspondence from pun
. lefty none of the officials at the Whit
House the state department or the jar
p, anese embassy cared to indicate the ma
ture of the Japanese objections or c
a. Secretary Bryan's reply. From othe
a sources. however, 1t was gathered tha
n while the Japanese allege technical Vic
"a lations of the treaty of 1911 by the Cal
q fornia law, these relate to minor pro
visions, such as that prohibiting Japal
ese from inheriting property In Califo
It MIA The real weight of objection
against the spirit of the whole legisla