The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-30
Senators Say They Are in SYM
pathy With California.
ARMY men HAVE NO FEARS
Believe Japan Can Be Whipped
on Land or on Sea.
Tension of Situation Is Telling
on President Wilson.

MIA contention was the underlying topic
of surprising interest in both houses
| today. The tariff in the house ana
general topics in the senate held the
aisles of speech, but the conversations
between senator and senator and rep
resentative and representative were all
about Japan.
And the spirit of congress from hrst
to last was resolute; courageous ana
American in it's maintenance OF tne
dignity and honor of the republic.
On the senate side there were frank
and outSpoken Americans anu tnls IL
what they said
Senator TilIman of South Carolina:
eff Japan is going to protest every
time California attempts to exercise
the rights Of a sovereign state we Woulo
better settle the whole business no"
and have it over with. 1 deplore war;
but if Japan is insisting upon a hght'
If would be better to whip her at once
and stop this sort of thing. We have
a race question in the south. Why IN
vite another on the Pacific coast?'
Senator Works of California declared:
every state in the Union has the right
to nrovide bv law who shall hold and
own lands within the state and to eA-
cept aliens from that right. A num-
ber of the states have already uohe
so. The national government has no
right to enact any law or make any
treaty that will deny or impair that
right on the part of a state. There
fore the governor and the legislature
of the state of California are strictly
within their rights when they lnslst
upon enacting an alien law whether IL
excludes citizens of all or one or any
number of foreign nations.
IF the national government mas
made a treaty that infringeS upon TINS
right, the state is not bound by it and
NAV enact such a law notwithstand-
ing
Senator Newland of Nevada:
my sympathies are with California.
This question undoubtedly must be
dealt with with a strong and deter
mined arm. There is no other way OF
handling it
california, 1 believe, is clearly within
her rights in enacting the legislation
she proposes. She is not violating any
treaty obligations. She might accom-
pIiSh the same purpose by 1ndlrectloh
and avoid friction.
Let's Not Be CowardS, Chamberlain.
Senator Chamberlain of oregon: ut
is time for Americans to lay aslde
their timidity and prove that we are
neither meek shopkeepers nor COW
ards I predicted repetition of these
groundless complaints at the time OF
the protests against the school laws OF
California This, like the canal, is
domestic
business what we do with our local
matters California. can say who can
and who cannot own property ana
japan nor any other nation has
right to say one word against it.
And in the house these were some Of
the convictions:
Representative Stanley, Kentucky:
1--WE of the south know the dangers OF
miscegenation. California has her
right to pass her legislation without
interference from the national govern
ment We poke our Philippine heads
in the mouth of the Nippon guns and
get scared to death When tney threaten
California"
Representative Roddenberry, Geor- |
gia: ''The United States says to the
japanese and certain other people that
States Why cannot a state have the
right to say that certain alien races
shall not become property owners IN
that state? ??
Texas Has Anti-Jap Law.
Representative Garner. Texas: "Our
state has a law prohibiting Japanese
from owning land within the state un-
less they reside on it. l think that
California has a right to enact what
alien land laws she may desire. My
sympathieS are all with her people at
the present time"
Representative Dent, Alabama:
My sympathies are all with Califor-
MIA in her struggle to get through the
people If such legislation is against
federal statute a treaty with |
foreign nation it would be void, but |
every stare should be permitted to |
control her local leglslation.'
Two senators who would not con- |
sent to be quoted, expressed privately !
views much more striking and indig- |
nant. One of them, a great and pow |
erfuI senator from the central south, |
said: IF 1 were in charge I would |
put the fleet in order, send it straight |
to the Pacific coast and if the Japan
ese did not behave himself, blow his
island out of the water
And another southern senator. near |
er to the capital, said: II would drive |
every Japanese from the United States
1 believe that the United States ought
to vigorously prepare for fight
Favor War But Not Publicly.
One of the high officials of the gov
ernment and one especially close to
the president, declared: Il believe
that every man 1 have met in Wash
self in favor of war but l would not
be quoted saying so for my right
hand"
But if the officials of the White
House and the state department are /
mum, there is no lack of frankness
and open fearless expression among |
the .fficers of the army and navy /
who are gathered at Washington. Al
most to a man these epauletted Off
GERS of higher or lower rank walk
with firm tread and with resoIute
privately and not for quotation that
the army and navy are unalterably
opposed to being made to "eat dirt
in this matter with Japan.