Evening star., 1924-05-18
,JAPAN ALWAYS GUARDS
i AGAINST FOREIGN INFLUX
Only in Trade Are Other Nationals En-
couraged-History of Immigra-
ton Fight Reviewed.
BY GOULD LINCOLN.

ne iH1IniS TdllOn Dill Oh lSGf,
although described by many
members Of Congress, includ-
ing Senator Lodge of Massa-
chusetts, Republican leader of the
Senate, as one of the most important
pieces of legislation enacted in many
years because of it's general pro-
visions limiting immigration into the
United States, has gained it's great
est notoriety because of it's Japa-
nese exclusion provision.
The question Of Japanese immigra-
tion into this country is one that
has been hanging fire for many years
hanging fire because Japan, a
friendly nation Of long standing, has
looked askance at possible laws bar
ring its nationals from admission to
the United States and because the
government of the United States has
desired to avoid wounding the sensi-
bilities of the Japanese, a proud
people.
Gentlemen's Agreement.
The people of the Pacific coast
states. particularly California, alarm
ed by the influx of Japanese, under
took to deal with the situation in
1907 by means of state laws Presi-
dent Roosevelt. then in the White
House. forestalled state exclusion
act by entering into the so-called
'gentlemen's agreement" with Japan,
although California has enacted laws
forbidding Japanese to own land in
that state and keeping them out of
the public schools for white chill
dren. Under the gentlemen's agree
ment Japan has herself undertaken
to deny passports to Japanese labor
ers seeking to come as immigrants
TO the United States. In other words.
1t appears that Japan is more will
ing to take her exclusion medicine
when self-administered than when
administered through a law of the
United States
Japan has admitted that immi gra-
tion is a domestic question-to be
regulated by each country as it sees
fit Japan has regulated immigration
into her own country drastically, as
an examination of her laws dis
closes But Japan has taken the
poSlAioh lioL <4S lOHS dS tho oHlloO
States opens its doors to the ma
tionals of other nations, Japan should
not be disseminated against
Old Law of 179o Stands.
Back in 1890, however, tho United
States by federal act made ineligible
to citizenship all yellow and brown
races That law stands today. The
Supreme Court of the United States
on November IS, 1922, handed down
. decision declaring Japanese not
white persons within the meaning
Of the naturalization laws.
1t follows therefore that Japa-
nese who may be, or may have been
admitted as immigrants into this
country. cannot become citizens of the
United States. They remain aliens
always. a condition that does not
lend itself to the best interests of
the country should the group Of
Japanese become very large. On the
other hand. the Japanese children
residing in this country born here
automatically become American citi,
Eens under the law.
The old law of 1880 was enacted
because the Congress of that day did
not believe that the yellow and
brown races-perhaps half the pop
ulation Of the globe, were assimilable
with the white race. 1t affected the
Hindus. the Chinese, the Malays. the
Japanese and others America has
been called the melting pot" of the
world. But 1t was discovered when
the world war came on that America
was suffering from Indigestion
that 1t lad failed to assimilate all
of the white immigrants that had
been welcomed to these shores and
that there were great groups Of
hyphenated Americana And the de-
mand for Americanization of all the
people of foreign blood within the
United States has been very great
ever since this condition was dis
covered.
CALIFORNIA; New Demands.
When it came time to put through
q permanent immigration law to
take the place of the so-called quota
law now in effect. the present House
Of Representatives put into the i'm
migration bill a provision which ef-
feotually excluded the Japanese
Tho representatives from the Pacific
Coast states demanded it They in
sisted that Notwithstanding the gen.
tIemen's agreement of 1907, the
japanese population was increasing
that in California alone 1t had
reached the 100000 mark and passed
it. They went about this Japanese
exclusion without mentioning the
Japanese by name, but merely pro-
viding that aliens Ineligible to citi-
zenship shall not be admitted to the
United States. Such q phrase covers,
Of course, the Chinese, the Hindus,
etc. But those nationalities had al
ready been covered by exclusion
laws in the past Japan was the
enc great yellow nation which was
not covered by exclusion laws.
HanaAAra Letter a Spur.
The bill came to the Senate. 1t is
% secret that the Senate was pre-
pared to eliminate the so-called Jap
anese exclusion clause and to leave
60 tho administration the duty Of
working out satisfactory arrange
ments with Japan to check still fur
ther immigration from that country.
But At this juncture Secretary Hughes
Of the State Department sent to
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