Evening star., 1923-05-26
JAPANESE TO MOVE
! TO HELP RACE HERE
Seek Treaty Giving Guaran-
tee of Fair Play to
Nationals.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Authoritative advices have reached
| the United States from Toxic during
F., the past few days foreshadowing that
| to secure flair play" for Japanese
| domiciled in America. Japan seeks
a treaty with the United States
whereby Japanese nationals already
| in this country will enjoy precisely
the same rights as other aliens. The
question of immigration is not in
volved. That is regarded by Japan
as settled under the gentlemen
agreement" of 1907
1t is the treatment accorded to
resident Japanese by California and
other western states that IS oDJecteo
to. Ambassador Hanihara. in ms
speech before the Japan Society OF
New York on May 1S, made frank
admission to that effect. He definite
ly intimated that until conditions
considered obnoxious by Japan are
removed the slate between Nippon
and the United States would not be
clean.
No move by Mr.. Hanihara is~ffkely.
pending the decision of the Supreme
Court on the California alien land
law cases argued there on April 70.
Whether the court will pass upon the
validity of the laws before the i'm
pending summer adjournment cannot
be foretold.
Decision Of Court.
If the court holds that the
California statutes. which prevent
Japanese FROM owning or leasing
land, or even entering into contract
to work it for Cropping purposes.
are invalid. Japan will have less
cause for resentment. In any event
whether the decision is favorable or
unfavorable-the Toxic government
is not likely to wait long before re-
uuesting the United States perman-
emily to place Japanese aliens on ex-
actly the same basis enjoyed by other
foreigners. A treaty is the form
which Toxic would look upon as the
only satisfactory solution.
California is in determined mood
about Japanese or Japanese
leased land. When Ulysses S. Webb.
her attorney general, was arguing
last month before the supreme Court.
he was asked peremptorily by chlef
Justice Taft:
what we want to know is what
the Japanese are doing to which you
take objection"
Mr.. Webb replied:
THE white people refuse to asslm- :
ilate with the Japanese, and as the
JaDanese line advances we retreat.
We don't like to retreat. when the
Japanese occupy land in California,
they exclude from it people who
might become citizens. We believe
our government. both state ana ma
tionaL will be best protected anc
served when the land is occupied ny
those who sympathiZe with our IN
stitutions and can be compelled TO
contribute toward their preservation.
I am speaking plainly. We had one
race problem. which was settled by
the civil war There is another grow :
ing up on the Pacific coast that is
more threatening. We have already
lost the Philippines. Japanese now
dominate there. We believe this is
white mans government. We object
to Japanese owning or controlling
our agricultural lands through lease
or cropping contracts. because we
want to live in CALIFORNIA;:
Violation of Constitution.
The counsel for the American and
Tapanese plaintiffs who are contest
ing the California statutes argue tina
they violate the letter and spirit OF
the fourteenth amendment to the fed
eraI Constitution, prohibiting discriml- :
nation toward any persons on account
of color or race.
The writer's information is TO the