El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-12-13
IMMIGRATION
BILL AMENDED
Lively Discussion of Japa-
nese Question Features
Senate Debate.


Washington, Z. c. Dec 12-DiscuS-
sion of japanese immigration and the
senate committee amendment eliminat-
ing all reference to passport agreements
in the pending immigration bill was re-
newed IN the senate today when sena-
tor Chamberlain offered an amendment
to restore mention of the aGrei rnents
He thought elimination of mention OF
passport agreements would abrogate
the RoOt-Takahira agreement and
leave absolutely no restriction or jap
anese immigration Senator Smith OF
South Carolina denied that failure 10
mention the agreement would abro-
gate it.
Japan Is Keeping Agreement.
Japan is rehgiously keeping the
agreement and there Is nothing TO be
gained by the proposal to refer to this
agreement in the bill except to irritate
Japan" he said. You are doing thing
which can only anger the nation Wnlrh
is keeping this agreement and which
does not give you any additional safe
guard whatever
williams neads tAe Riot Act.
Senator Williams of Mississippi de-
clared he could not see why such a
over the Japanese question. particularly
when Japan had lived up TO its agree
ment and as government has treated
US in the best possible way
"The trouble here with some OF you,
said he. lis that you are willing 10 de-
clare the United states to be white
mans country in one instance and not
in another Some Of you who IRE
shouting loudest now about japanese
exclusion voted a little while ago
against exclusion Of negroes from this
country
tionaI complications about the japanese
who are higher civilized than you are,
but dare not, because OF local condi-
tons. declare, as to the negro, that this
is a white mans country. am abiding
" 70
also to northern Democrats when de-
clare that you are willing to say this
is a white mans country in way. buT
please don't offend the negro voter N
my district"
PheIan's Amendment Adopted
Without a roll call the senate adopted
senator Phelan's amendment which pro-
vides that nothing in the act should be
construed to repeal any existing law,
treaty or agreement, which serves 10
prohibit or restrict immigration"
Children Furnish CALIFORNIA; Problem.
Senator Works said the people of Cal
ifOrnia do not cain the japanese are an
inferior race but are against Japanese
Immigration because the race does not
assimilste with the white race he said
he believed the Root-TakahiTa gentle
mems agreement is being violated Dy
the entrance into this country OF Jap2-
nese women He said there were 100000
japanese males in this country, most OF
them in California, and predicted that Il
women we're not forbidden entrance,
most OF the men would soon be married
and have families Under California
law. he pointed out children OF Japa-
nese parents born there would be citi-
zens. He declared the law prohibiting
ownership of land by the japanese IS
being violated now by cOnveyauces Of
japanese children born in the state
Amendment Adopted.
BY a vote Of ~ to II. the senate
adopted the committee amendment
which would exclude Hindus and other
Asiatics without mentioning them oy
name and which eliminates from the
bill reference to passport agreements