Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-04-15
SCRAP OF PAPER,
SAYJAPANESEN
Plea TO WILSON
Declare Passage of Burnett
Bill Would Nullify Solemn
Treaty

A memorial to President Wilson pro-
testing against provisions In the Bur
nett immigration bin now before the
senate Is TO be adopted tomorrow
night at a massmeeting of Honolulu
japanese in the Asahi theater. DR..
G. Negoro,, general secretary OF the
Japanese Association Of Hawaii, will
preside, and Il is expected that fellow
conntrymen from other Islands will be
In attendance.
The memorial was authorized at
previous meeting Of the association
and has been drafted and printed
copies made for distribution at the
meeting.
The memorial begins by saying:
I'VE have the honor to respectfully
protest against the japanese exclusion
and the so-called picture bride clauses
Of the Burnett immigration bill, which,
to our regret, has passed the house OF
representatives. and is now before the
senate for further consideration, and
most respectfully pray that your Elk
cellency will exert your powerful infiu-
ence to prevent the passage of the bill
through the senate with those objec-
tionabIe clauses, and, should they be
retained when passed. we have the
honor TO pray you most earnestly to
use your constitutional power Of veto.
We pray this to preserve the good
name of our old country, Japan"
The memorial then proceeds to dis
cuss the Acknowledgements treaty of
1911 and the Root Takahira under
standing, or "gentlamen's agreement"
Of 1908, and declares that should the
bill be made law the solemn
pact between the two honorable ma
tons Of the earth would be summarily
converted into scrap Of paper.
The memorial also says:
Further, we have the honor to
mars Agreement would be grievous=
point out that the so-called Gentle
~ Violated by the United States If
the japanese exclusion law is passed.
because the fundamental understand
ing lying beneath the agreement is
that the United States shall refrain
from passing any law that win ex-
clude the Japanese In consideration of
Jnpan's FAITHFULLY carrying out its
terms. There may not exist any docu-
ment to that effect for very obvious
reasons, but that such IS fhe under
Standing is incortrovertible. To f.
more such agreement or understand
ing Is not less reprehensible than the
condemnation Of written international
agreements into scraps OF paper.
I'VE are also afraid that the exclu-
sion Of Japanese in defiance of the
treaty, the understanding and the
agreement. would automatically bring
.I.<s.f Al a nr,11a1,co ~ tlaa Ilr,<.f.Ts a lro
IIra Understandings, and the lohs OF
applicability OF 5apan's open door pol
Io} IN the Far East as far as the
United States is concerned.
IN this critical hour of the worlds
history, when the United States is the
only neutral power OF any cohse-
Qpenoe. any action on her part that
might imperil ber neutrality is to be
deeply deplored. These words are
not spoken as the subjects or Japan
o. Of any nation, but from the stand
point Of the world citizen, and trust
that they will not fall on deaf ears.
with regard to the picture bride
clause, we respectfully protest against
Il as In violation of the most funda-
mental of the rights Of man, namely,
the right to take vile from anywhere
and from ameng any race This argu
uent might be weak If We propose
10 take wife from uncivilized corners
o. the world, but the force of IL is f.
Eesistible because we insist that our
right should be preserved to take our
wives from our home country, select.
cd by ctr parents and the closest rela-
lives and friends, who have only our
welfare at heart. We trust that this
representation will strongly appeal to
your Excellency's great. good, noble
and responsive heart, and that the
same viii not Taff to produce the re-
suit for which it Is advanced -
For the sake of the preservation OF
the sanctity or International treaties,
and for the principles of mutual re-
t1ect by the nations Of the earth, one
with another, and of the freedom OF
civilized marriage, we have the honor
- earnestly appeal to your Excellency
70 denude the Burnett immigration
M 81 the Japanese exclusion and the
||-called picture bride clauses"
-