Evening star., 1924-01-18
ROW ON JAPANESE
IS NEAR CLIMAX
Regarded. as Certain to
Cause Diplomatic Tension
Between Countries.
BILL TO BAR 0RIENTALs
Will Abrogate "Gentleman's
Agreement"-Sponsor Con-
fident of Passage.
BILL TO BAR oRIENTALs
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Complete exclusion of Japanese i'm
migration, through abrogation Of the
"gentleHen's agreement" Of 1907. is
ABOUT to become not only matter Of
hot debate in Congress, but Of inevita-
Ole diplomatic tension between the
United States and Japan. The immi-
grafton committee Of the House within
a week or ten days will report out the
new immigration legislation, whereby
practically all aliens ineligible to Ameri-
can citizenship are barred. Although
Asiatic aliens are not singled out, the
provisions affect almost exclusively
Japanese, Chinese and other orientals.
II the House passes the new law and
che Senate approves it, only three class
es of Asiatics henceforward will be ad-
1nissible: /, Those already established
here, who return after temporary ab-
sences abroad: 2. bonafide students over
eighteen years of age, bound for spe-
cifc American schools, colleges or uni
verslties and approved for that purpose
by the Secretary of Labor, and, 3. rec
osnized ministers of the gospel.
Confident OF Passage.
Representative Albert Johnson of
Washington, chairman of the House
committee on immigration, is conf
dent the House will approve the new
immigration measure, as recommend
ed by the committee. Senator Sam
uel NJ. Shortridge of California, who
will lead the Senate fight for adop-
ton of the oriental exclusion provi-
sion, says he has no reason to antici-
pate that the Senate will radically
modify them. The project has not
yet come formally before the Senate
Senator LIE Baron B. Colt of Rhode
Island Is chairman. Senator Hiram
w. Johnson Of California is a member
of the committee. He holds drastic
views on the subject of oriental i'm
migration and may be expected to do
his utmost to induce his colleagues
to adopt the House proposals. Sena-
tor William H. King of Utah Is the
only other western member of the
committee.
Would Annul Agreement.
AS the guardian of the foreign re-
not likely to rush into treaty
breaking" legislation as mpetuously
as the House. The "gentiemens
agreement" is not a formal, treaty in
international law.
Yet the proposed legislation would
abrogate 1t and annul what the Jap
anese have for seventeen years looked
upon as tantamount to a treaty with
our government. Senator ShortridEe
takes the view that the acts of Con-
gress traditionally supersede a treaty.
because they become the law of the
land. He recalls that the United
States Supreme Court, when 1t vali-
dated Chinese exclusion, thereby made
exclusion part of the fundamental
federal law.
Senator Shortridgc, in a statement
to this writer. is at pains to point
out that the new exclusion legislation
is neither sectional" nor deliberately
unfriendly to Japan. When the Ma
tive Sons Of the Golden West origi-
mated this project" Senator Short
ridge said, we were supported in our
attitude by three great national
bodies-the National Grange, speak,.
ing for the farmers: the American
Federation Of Labor. speaking for the
working classes. and the American
Legion, speaking for the soldiers.
Thus the proposals have important
national sanction, even though states
like California, Oregon and Wash
ington will mainly be affected.
Denies UnfriendIiness.
I'VE seek to do nothing, unfriendly
or hostile to the Japanese people.
We are conserving American inter-
ests, not violating those of any for
eiSn state. When the four power Pa
cific treaty was signed at Washing
ton. in 1922, 1t was expressly provided
that each Of the signatory powers