Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-27
]APAN'SNEW TONE
IN LAND DISPUTE
CAUSE Of CONCERN
Now Insists National Honor Is
Affronted by California
: Measure.
Holds United States Is Bound
to Enforce Guarantees
of Treaty.

That the projected treaty between the
United States and Japan looked rather
to a simple declaration of the right
Of the japanese to hold land in the
United States ON even terms with other
aliens and not with any idea of claim
ing naturalization as right, is the be-
lief now expressed isince the correspond
ence between the two countries has been
made public This correspondence. it Is
pointed out. shows that the Japanese
ambassador himself admitted that
naturalization Is a political problem
of national and not international con-
Germ
Secretary Bryan today declined to dis
cuss the steps that had been taken dur
ing the course of the correspondence
and as a side issue 10 obtain settle
ment of the question by means of a new
treaty The effort at treaty making was
the real explanation of the delay, of the
State Department for ten months to an
swer the Japanese note of August &c.
Publication of Note Soon.
The reason for withholding the note of
the United States delivered Wednesday,
from the printed volume of correspond
ence laid before the japanese diet in
ton. was due to purely mechanical diff
Guilty. It is expected that this latest chap
ter will be published in day or two.
Meanwhile study of the correspond
ence already isued develops interesting
details cf some of the points alluded
to in the original published abstract.
For instance, in the note of June 4,
1913. though the question of good
faith is not raised there is a tinge of
bitterness and genuine surprise at
what the Japanese negotiators evident
ly regarded as sudden reversal of
front on the part of the United States
government. That is set out in this
language. Having in view the atti-
tude and action of deep sympathy ex-
pressd and taken by the American ad-
mfnistration in the matter while the
measure was still pending in the legis-
lature of California. the cabinet at
Toxic had good reason. it was thought.
to expect some intimation of willing
ness on the part of the American gov
ernment. to cooperate with the gov
ernment of Japan in the endeavor to
hnd a satisfactory solution of the prob
lem. instead of the suggestion that the
courts Of the United States were open
to those of my countrymen who might
feel themselves to have been deprived
of treaty rights and guarantees.
Treaty Violation Insisted Upon.
All through the correspondence is
strong insistance upon the alleged viola
tion of treaty which acquires significance
because it has been recognized that the
sole basis upon which Japan could de-
mand a settlement of this land issue by
arbitration in conformity with the terms
of the recently renewed special arbitra-
tion treaty is that questions of the con-
struction of treaties must be SO decided.
But ii is noticeable that in the later
stages OF the correspondence the Japa-
nese negotiators laid great stress upon
the charge that this California land legis-
lation is discrimination of the most
marked and invidious character against
Japan"
one sentence in the strong note of
August 26, 1913, refers to the California
law as unjust and inequitable
as well as at variance with the ac-
cepted precepts governing and regu-
lating the intercourse of good neigh
borhood, and being admittedly eX in
dustria discriminatory against this
empire. compared with other states.
il is also mortifying to the nation and
disregardful of the national susceptl-
b.lities of the Japanese people This
broadening of the issues between the
two countries beyond the mere ques-
tion of treaty construction, to involve
what might be regarded by the Japa,
mes as one affecting the national
honor. has given more concern to the
officials of the State Department and
to the administration generally than
any OIncG feature VI lHt COEIe-
spondence.
States Rights at Issue.
There is another phase of the negotia-
tons as disclosed in the correspondence
that opens up possibilities of an entirely
new issue in the history of the United
States. This rather oddly appears in the
note of Secretary Bryan of July 16. in
the course of his defense of the right of
a state to treat this land question To-
cally. In italics in connection with the
promise by the Japanese government to
grant land ownership to Americans, ap-
pear the words. "reserving for the fu-
ture however the right of maintaining
the condition of reciprocity with respect
to the separate states
This is regarded distinct reserva-
tion by the Japanese government of
Californians by singing them out
from the right to possess real property
in japan.
1t may be that this is qualified by a
later expression by the Japanese gov
ernment in the note of August rs to
remedy. and the imperial government
are unable TO escape the conclusion that
the duty of applying that remedy de-
wolves solely upon the government of
the United States. as the measure COM
planned of has. despite the protest
lodged by you. been permitted to go