The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-25
CALIFORNIA MAY END
ALIEN LAND LEASING
Vote Next Week Will Decide
Question of Withdrawing
3 Year Privilege.
ORIENTAL CONTROL GAINS
Claim Made State Is Following
Nippon's Example Which
Bars All Outsiders.

SAN FRANcIsco, Oct. 24-The fate of
Japanese farmers in California will be
decided November 2, when the cleo
torate of this State passes on an In
itiative mea sure that would amend the
present alien land law by withdrawing
entirely the three year agricultural land
leasing privilege from aliens who are
Ineligible to American citizenship.
The measure aims also to place minor
land owning aliens under the guardian
ship of public administrator. The
actual ownership of farm lands by aliens
ineligible to citizenship already is pro-
hibited by the alien land law enacted
by the State Legislature in 1913.
The initiative measure. It's proponents
assert. will conform strictly to the let
ter of the treaty between japan and
the United States in which certain
privileges were granted to Japanese resi-
dents. The opponents of the proposed
new law declare that the issue raises the
question of an Interpretation of phrase
ology In the treaty wherein it Is pro-
vided that the Japanese resident in the
United States may own or hire and
occupy houses. manufactures. ware
houses. shops and premises and lease
lands for residential and commercial
purposes"
It Is pointed out by persons opposed
to amending the present law that the
leasing of land for Commercial pur-
poses" contemplated the privilege of
leasing agricultural lands The voters
Of the State have had the legal verbiage
of the measures clarified by arguments
for and against it respectively by V. S.
McClatchy. publisher of the Sacramento
Bee, and by John p. Irish, an extensive
land owner of Stockton, Cal.
In behalf Of the measure, Mr.. Nc
CATCHY says in part:
Through the measure California
seeks, as Is her Inherent right, to pre-
serve her lands for Americans. precisely
as Japan preserves her lands for the
Japanese. Its primary purpose is to
prohibit Orentals who cannot become
American citizens from controlling our
rich agricultural lands.
"Our present treaty of commerce AID
navigation with japan deliberately omits
from the privileges granted the japanese
in this country either ownership or
lease of agricultural lands. Japan has
always prohibited ownership, or lease.
or use of agricultural lands in Japan
by Americans or other foreigners.
Orientals, and more particularly
Japanese, have commenced to secure
control of agricultural lands in Cali
fornia. There was enacted in 1913 the
alien land law, which prohibited owner
. ship-or lease beyond three years-of
agricultural lands by aliens ineligible
to citizenship.
I'm defiance Of that law, through
various subterfuges, including use of
dummy corporations and minor native
born children. Orientals, largely Japa-
nese, are fast securing control of the
richest irrigated lands in the State,
through lease or ownership, the proper
ton already controlled in some coun-
ties being from 20 to 20 per cent
THE initiative measure simply closes
the loophole in the 1918 law which per-
mits violation and evasion thereof. In
addition 1t forbids even short leases"
In his argument against the measure
Mr. Irish discusses the commercial
treaty with Japan and declares that
'in its economic definition commerce
consists of production. transmutation
and exchange: production is the rank
ing element. because without 1t there
can be no commerce.