The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-04-25
WILSON vi / APPEALS /
TO CALIFORNIANS
Asks Them to Uphold Our
Treaty with Japan.
WIRES GOVERNOR JOHNSON

Of PeopIe-chief Executive Says
Exclusion, May Be Brought About
Along Lines Already Followed In
Many Other Cases.
Washington, April %. - President
Wilson, after a conference with the
Democratic delegation from Cali
fornia, decided to telegraph Governor
Johnson and legislative leaders in
California, appealing to them not to
enact any antialien land laws in con.
travention of treaty obligatios of the
United States with Japan. The tele-
gram was as follows:
81 speak upon the assumption,
which / am sure is well founded, that
the people of California do not desire
their representatives-an that their
representatives do not wish or intend
in any circumstances to embarrass
the government Of the United States
in it's dealings with a nation with
whom it has sought most earnestly
and cordially to maintain relations of
that might impair treaty obligations
or cast a doubt upon the honor and
good faith of the nation and its gov
eminent.
Expresses Confidence In Support.
81 therefore appeal with the utmost
confidence to the people, the govern
or and the legislature of California to
act in the matter now under consid-
Grafton in a manner that cannot from
any point of view be fairly chal.
lenged or called in question.
IF they deem 1t necessary to ex-
clude all aliens who have not de-
clared their intentions to become citi
zens from the privileges of land
ownership, they can do so along lines
already followed in the laws of many
of the other states and of many for
eign countries, including Japan her.
self. Insidious discrimination will in.
evitably draw in question the treaty
obligations OF the government of the
United States.
81 register my very earnest and
elimination in this case, not only be.
cause deem it my duty to do so as
the chief executive of the nation, but
also, and the more readily, because
believe the people and the legislative
authorities of California will respond
generously the moment the matter is
frankly presented to them as a ques.
tion of national policy and of nation.
al honor. If they have ignored this
point Of view. it is, am sure. be-
cause they did not realize what and
how much was involved"
Congressman Call on President.
The California Democratic congress
sional delegation, consisting of Rep
resentatives Kettner, Kaker and
Church, called on the president about
appointments, but Mr.. Wilson de-
ferred that subject and Immediately
took up the alien land situation.
He told his visitors he had no de-
sire to seem to be encroaching, in
any way, upon the sovereign right Of
California to legislate as she pleased,
but that he felt it was his duty to
call the attention Of the leaders in
the state to the international question
involved.
Mr.. Raker told the president that If
his course in appealing to the legis-
lature proved futile, its influence
might be to couse the submission Of
any law passed to a referendum.
The president is said to be conf
dent that the people Of California, If
they had an opportunity to vote on
the measure, would not approve law
which the federal government pointed
out was in violation of the treaty OBJ
legations.
Message Goes to Legislature.
Sacramento, Cal, April %. = Gov
ernor Johnson received President
Wilson's telegram of protest against
the alien land bills and Immediately
had II copied into special message
to both houses of the legislature.
No comment was offered by the
governor and the message to the leg.
islature contained only formal pre-
fix that the message had been re-
ceived