Iditarod pioneer., 1914-05-23
JAP QUESTION
 NEARLY SETTLED

Washington, April 25.- Secret nego;ia tions for the settlement of the Japanese eX- clusion and alien land questions are being carried on by the state department with Japan, and definite settlement or final disagreement with the Japanese govern ment is expected within the next few weeks.
 The negotiations are being guarded with the utmost secrecy, partly because of the delicate political situation in Japan and partly because of the sccretive policy fol lowed by the state department in all its international dealings.
 It is understood that the negotiations deal in part with an understanding under which Japan will concede the right of the various states to enact anti alien land laws, saving her face by securing similar con cession from the United States concerning lands in Japan.
 On the immigration question it is un- derstood that Japan is willing to strengthen the gentlemen's agreement made with this government in 1907, in which Japan volunteered to restrict immigration from Japan to this country
 The last expression of Japan on this sub ject was an addenda to the treaty of com merce and navigation of February Fl, 1911, when Japan agreed to maintain with equal effectiveness the limitation and control ex- erciscd for the last three years in regula- ton of the emigration of Iaborers to the United States
 There have been growing co lploiats from the Pacific coast that this agreement has not been sufficiently effective and that under it the Japanese population in the Western states is increasing instead of di- miuishing
 Particular attention has beer directed tn the large influx of Japanese women into Hawaii and continental United States dur ing the last two years. In 1912 4,22S women, more than 50 per cent of the total Japanese immigration into Hawaii and the Western states were admitted In 1913 5,4S+, or Y per cent of those admitted, were females.
 Of these women, several thousand were what are known as "proxy or "photo- graph" brides, married under a custom rec ognizad as legal in Japan to men living ill this country, In meny instances these brides had never seen their husbands the marriages being arranged between the head, of the respective families
 The binding effect of these marriages upon the immigration agreement with Japan has been questioned by Com,n!s soner cf Immigration Camiaett:, and an effort i- being male in the present na-o- rat.oas 10 end the admission of "aicture" brides.
 The objection to this form of immigra- ton is that first the women immediately enter the fields with their husbands and become competitors in the labor market, hnd second, tha, each brgIe ae@ns all uI.i- mat" addition of a least five na@vclarn Japanese to the population already on the Pacific slope.
 Officials who have been closely following the trend of events in tbc Orient believe that the leaders i'll Japan have concluded tha, the establishment cf great Japanese population in the United States is now i'm possible, and the Japanese are turning to Mexico and South America as the refuge for their surplus population
 It is expected that with the final restora- ton Of order in Mexico Japanese money and emigration will be directed to the ex- poitaHon of the vast resources of that country, and that with the opening of the Panama canal the Japanese will be found settling in large numbers along both the eastern and western coasts of South America
 It is intimated that as part of the present negotiations the administration will tacitly agree to twink" at Japanese emigration to the Latin republics provided that in other respects the Monroe doctrine is observed by Japan in relation to the securing of naval bases or other strategic footbo!ds.
 FIGHT ON LOBBYISTS