The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-20
PRESS ON JAPANESE EXCLUSION

q Gliding Japanese from this country is more
Z evenly divided than over any other Important
y subject that has lately arisen. There is no
apparent division along party lines, however
nor even sectional except for the fact that
& most of the far Western papers favor exclu-
sion by act of congress. Neither IS there
e any division on the essential question OF
y Japanese undesirability. That is understood.
Y The division is on the question of whether
i congress did right in repudiatins the dlplo-
II matte agreement and replacing it with law
5fofthe same effect About half the papers
Examined say that congress did right and the
other half maintain that congress did wrong.
& The big Eastern papers for the most part
yeondemn the passage of the exclusion act.
For example, the New York World, which
seems to have its approving and its disap-
proving days. The measure is unnecessary.
1t is brutal 1t is dangerous. 1t does not
scater to any real necessity of the Pacific
coast. and it does not represent the real will
.of the American people. Just how the
Void so promptly cascertained the will of
the American people lis not stated. Like
wise the New York Herald Tribune. giving
its opiuion before. the senate acted What
ever else the senate does with the immigra-
A. ton bill. it should strike out the obnoxious
4 provision that humiliates Japan. 1t is
AyretchedS exhibition OF jngoism for senators
sof the Washington conference And the
Philadelphia Public Ledger inquiries Why
insult Japan forgetting that the. purpose
fof congress was to fulfill its duty to the
sAmerican people. Japan has manufactured
sher own insult 1t was not contemplated in
sthesact of congress. ~ ~.
The inevitably conservative Springfield
Republican likewise censures congress. and
says; There is no wisdom in taking an fex-
IRENE course in legislation just to show ID
Eoreign power that nation will not suffer
Its independence to be invaded when, in. fact,
its independence is not actually threatened
In this the Republican enormously assumes
that the serate's vote was due to pique,
whereas, it is probable that only few sena-
tors were driven by the Japanese threat to
ehange their votes and that the act would,
have passed anyhow. Indeed. the very exist
ence of the 2sgentlemen's agreement was
based on the theory that we do not want
the Japanese as citizens. To hold that the
passage of the act alters the case in any es
sential is to stoop to bubble. The gentle
mems agreement was only half-protection.
for Japan has no control against Japanese
Immigrants coming to as byAway of other
countries, and we haA9n6 law by which they
2uld be Specifically excluded.
Amone the papers that look with approval
J pllcn the exclusion act the Cleveland Plain
Dealer thonghtfully Observes: Not for long
can 1.-The people of the United States avoid
1fScussion and settlement of the Japanese
weston onS the Pacific. We have been in
'jned to shy at the issue, to deal in pallia
fIfes and, to set up temporary devices. This
Neiicy of evasion is no longer adequate.
ASAerica must soon decide, as Australia and
A4Rda and New Zealand have decided, what
her attitude is to be towards the peaceful
0f .IananpSe- nr0xrdpd mi of THAR
h04e by press of population. If the policy
- 10 be bars up and none admitted, let us
adopt it deliberately and without apology,
az belongs to us to decide. If we are to adj
mite reasonable number, in spite of Pacific
roast protests let that policy be made equally
HneQuivocal." There is sense in this. There
As no use in our continuing to walk on eggs
On any matter. If we adopt such a policy
On zone question, who can predict where it
would all end? If with Japan, why not
Rftif other nations? BY taking our stand
firmly now we are probably saving ourselves
lot of apprehension IN future contingencies.
that now. will probably not arise because of
our decision.
lat there is an awkward situation not
Altogether of our fashionirg is the view of
tho amiable Washington Star: THE Amer
team people still are willing to do all they
honorably can ito retain the friendship of
ldpaii,' anu ultlNs VI lHcul are HOG ldckluS IN
sympathy with the feeling the japanese have
fn the matter of exclusion. They fervently
hope some way may be found to satisfy
Japanese pride, without sacrifice of Ameri-
can seif-respect.' 1t is altogether likely that
q mountain is being made of a moleh
+ The Japanese have obtruded questions. of
racial equality in situations where no such
question was inherent as IN the league cove
snt. The very. fact of admission to the
s4Eneuis concession of national equality.
The question Of racial equality is something
that could not be settled by any known
Standards uniformly acceptable to all ma
tions. But as far. as we are concerned, we
have quite decided views as to the limitations
we desire to place upon racial admixtures in
our own country. That is a sovereign de-
cisiop9 which every nation is legally and NOR
Any empowered to make for itself and in its
own interests.
it has been remarked that Japan will seek
fetaliatory measures, That is hardly likely.
She viii scarcely proceed to the exclusion
II american business, commercial and indus
trial agents for that would injure herself as
aapchaas or even more than us. For our
nqtlqnals do not seek citizenship nor perma-
pent residence in, Japan, whereas, her ma
tionals seek in our land permanent escahe-
from the crowded conditions in their own
country. Neither will she seek to upset those
trade relationships which make Japan our
lS Eest commercial correspondent in the
{ DrieiitN and the largest receiver of our ex-
poFf4 That benefit is mutual and cannot
( bes disturbed without financial loss which the
japanese will not easily sustain. The fact
that the japanese are actually conciliatory is
proved by the governments effort to coun+
feract- inflammatory utterance in Japan and
20 suppress the militarists who have seized
Qp the situation as pretext for political an
peal, to the Japanese people All in all. it
appears that we have gotten rid of an in.
cpbns In the way of ticklsh situation which
alpiomacy sought to foster instead of dis
solving :
THE JAPANESE REACTION f.
ft is apparent that the enactment of the
Japanese exclusion clause in the immigration