, 1924-05-01
WASHINGTON
NEWS LETTER

WASHINGTON, April 20 Opin-
oni here is sharply divided regard
ing the wisdom of Congress in adopt
ing the Japanese exclusion law which
Is highly offensive to the Japanese
people. That exclusion of the lap
anese must be accomplished all are
agreed: but that that was accom-
plished as efficiently by the s~o-called
''Gentlemen's Agreement" whereby
Japan refused passports to her citi-
zens to the United States, as by an
exclusion law offensive to Japanese
sensibilities is the contention of
those opposed to such a law, includ-
ing President Coolidge and Secretary
Hughes. In fact. they believe that
with the cooperation Of the Japanese
Government the exclusion was more
effective than 1t will be when under
taken without that cooperation. Now,
they urge, Japan. a badly overcrowd-
ed country. will merely wink at the
efforts OF her people to get into the
United States in defiance of the law
and the Canadian. and especially the
sparsely settled Mexican, boundaries
afford ample opportunities for such
smuggling. Moreover, the interests
of the United States in the far East
0Ao OOuAu IL 10 ulOIc u lcSS pre-
JUDGED by the constant hostility of
Japan. While there is, no doubt,
little likelihood of war at this time,
there is much satisfaction in military
circles over the progress that has
been made in establishing an efficient
naval base at Pearl Harbor (Hawaii)
and accommodating there extensive
stores of navy fuel oil. The vote for
exclusion was so overwhelming that
it would be obviously useless for the
President to veto the bill, but it's
regarded as highly likely he will let
it become law without his signature,
President CoOlidge's rebuke of the
Senaet-Not for conducting %investi-
cations but-for the unfair, biased
and partisan n in which it has
been conducting those Investigations,
has met with merited commentator
ON all sides. Only bitterly partisan
Democrats and a few partisan Demo-
cratic newspapers condemn it, and
even those are compelled to distort
Mr.. Coolidge's rebuke before attack
ing it. In partisan quarters an at
tempt has been made to make 1t ap-
pear that Mr.. Coolidge objected to
all Investigations, which is not the
Ease. But generally, the press and
the public heartily agree with the
President that the in which
some of the Investigations have been
conducted. notably the oil investiga-
tion and hat OF the Attorney General
Is a disgrace to the Senate.
Regarding CASTOR B.. Means, Sem
ator Wheeler's chief reliance in his
attack on Mr.. Daugherty, A. Mitchell
Palmer. Democrat, and Attorney
General under President Wilson,
says that Means testimony Is "a lie
out of whole cloth" One Of Means'
stories Mr.. Palmer characterizes as
"a tissue of f~alsehoods" and. criti-
cising the Senate committee, Mr..
Palmer says. 'In the face of these
findings. which must be within the
knowledge OF the Senate committee.
for that committee to allow a wit
ness like Means to repeat his I'M
founded charge, long since disproved
is we'll calculated to discount the sin
certify Of the present investigation
and to Justify the widespread criti-
cism OF the Senate for becoming a
mere distributor OF SANDER and
singer Of mud"
The employment Of Francis ].
Heney as attorney for the Senate
committee investigating the Bureau
OF Internal Revenue and his being
paid out OF the private pocket OF
Senator Couzens-who. by the way.
enjoys according to his own admis-
sion an income OF 81. 900 900 a year
is clearly contrary to law and
doubtless will be ended since the
President has called attention to that
fact. The genesis OF Heney's en-
ployment is interesting. 1t develops
that the man back OF Heney is Gift
ford Pinchot. Governor OF Pennsyl-
vania. whose bitterness toward the
Secretary OF the Treasury knows no
bounds. Pinchot wants to be Presi-