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The Commoner.
MAT , 11J
Sacramento Bee, ono of the chief supporters of
the progressive state government, makes this
reply:
"As a matter of fact, the alien land hills be
fore the legislature have no more application to
tho citizens of Japan than to those of any other
nation. They conflict with no Japanese treaty
right or obligation, and would not have the
effect of denying to Japanese any right or privi
lege which Americans have in Japan.
"Furthermore, even President Roosevelt and
Secretary of State EHhu Root, while opposing a
bill for separate schools for Orientals, admitted
there would be no cause for international objec
tion to an alien land bill, applicable to all aliens,
and said they did not protest against anything
of the sort."
The Asahi (Tokyo), one of the leading inde
pendent papers of Japan, not only protests
against the enactment of the alien land bill, but
threatens retaliation. It is quoted as saying
that "American advocacy of equality Is a hol
low sham," and that "the, Californlans propose
to treat their neighbors across the Pacific worse
than negroes." The Asahi goes on:
"This anti-Japanese agitation will impress us
with a keen sense of humiliation which will re
quire many years to efface. Americans must be
prepared for a cool reception when they come
to Japan as tourists or settlers."
The chambers of commerce of San Francisco
and Los Angeles asked the legislature not to
pass the bill because it might cause the Japanese
government to refuse to participate in tho
Panama-Pacific exposition. But there was no
real cause for alarm on this point, if we are to
believe press dispatches from Tokio, which aver
that the officials at the Japanese capital have
no intention of withdrawing from the exposition.
And the Tokio chamber of commerce tele
graphed to the California commercial organiza
tions, thanking them for their efforts to defeat
the measure, and begging them to continue 'their
endeavors in behalf of friendly relations be
tween Japan and the United States. Premier
Katsura's party is reported as being in favor of
the friendliest possible settlement of the con
troversy. The substance of the bill is given
in a San Francisco "dispatch to the New York
Times, dated April 5:
"As amended, the measure provides that an
alien may hold land for one year, or, in case of
a minor, for one year after attaining his ma
jority, but at the end of that time tho property
escheats to the state unless the owner has be
come or has declared his Intention of becoming
a citizen of the United States. An alien gain
ing land by inheritance may hold it for one
year only under the same conditions.
"All property owned by an alien shall be sold
or disposed of within three years from the pas
sage of the act, unless declaration of Intention
is made, and leases shall run for not more than
five years. Those in force when the act is passed
shall be declared void at the expiration of five
years.
"The provisions of the act are not to apply to
property acquired prior to 1894, but the pro
visions do apply to corporations where the ma
jority of the stock is held by aliens."
Article I of the treaty of 1911, regulating the
right of Japanese in this country, is the clause
which jthe Japanese, and many of the American
newspapers outside California, say the law
makers at Sacramento would violate. It pro
vides that:
"The citizens or subjects of each of the high
contracting parties shall have the liberty to
enter, travel, and reside in the territories of the
other, to carry on trade, wholesale and retail,
to own or lease and occupy houses, manufac
tories, warehouses, and shops; to employ agents
of their choice, to lease land for residential and
commercial purposes, and generally to do any
thing incident to or necessary for trade upon
the same terms as a native citizen or subject,
submitting themselves to the laws and regula
tions there established."
"The curious notion seems to prevail at Sac
ramento," remarks the New York World, "that
the United States must be governed by the acts
of the legislature of California," and It goes
on to say that "a people with any sense of humor
would stop before they made themselves ridicu
lous," and that if nothing else will restrain the
California legislature, "it will have to be taught
the meaning of the constitution of the United
States." We read further:
"Within the borders of California there are
101,350,400 acres of land. According to tho
census of 1910, of the total population of 2,
377,549, only 41,324 were Japanese, including
men, women, and children, or less than 1
per cent, of whom only, a small fraction occupied
land. Yet this is the awful peril which con
fronts California and has started all the clamor
at Sacramento."
It Is suggested by the Buffalo Enquirer that
under national persuasion, California went slow
at the time there was so much agitation against
admitting Japanese to the public schools, and
that a "memory of that episodo should aid It to
go slow again." Tho Indianapolis News thinks
that perhaps the Japaneso government will be
difficult to deal with, but hopefully suggests that
"what is demanded Is fairness, and this doubt
less will be forthcoming." And some justifica
tion of tho California viewpoint is made by tho
Indianapolis Star, which observes that "no state
would, of course, willingly embarrass tho na
tional government, but it surely has the right
to guard its own territory from any peoplos it
deems undesirable by any legal means."
m. BRYAN IN CALIFORNIA
Following are Associated PreBB dispatches:
Sacramento, Cal., April 28. California, In tho
fulness of her right as a state, may enact a rigid
land law barring orientals from ownership, but
such action would be against the earnest wish
of the national administration. This Is tho sub
stance of the message William Jennings Bryan,
secretary of state and principal representative of
President Wilson, delivered today to a secret
conference attended only by Governor Johnson,
Lieutenant Governor Wallace and 120 members
of tho California legislature.
Secretary Bryan arrived in Sacramonto at G
o'clock this morning. With his consent plans
were laid for an immediate hearing, and shortly
after 11 o'clock the first session of tho con
ference began. Until the doors of tho assembly
were closed and locked Secretary Bryan refused
to give any inkling of his mission to anyone and
even at the conference ho spoke only after legis
lators had explained fully tho public demanad
for alien land legislation that brought about tho
present situation.
Those who expected Secretary Bryan to ex
pound a new theory of state's rights were dis
appointed, as were those who expected predic
tions of war. Advice In the namo of President
Wilson was all Mr. Bryan had to offer and the
paramount question here tonight Is whether
such advice will overcome the previously an
nounced determination of tho progressive repub
lican majority to enact an anti-alien land-holding
law along tho lines already agreed upon.
Secretary Bryan reaffirmed tho state's right
to act In a manner it saw fit, but suggested
several alternatives to tho passage of a bill re
stricting aliens "ineligible to citlzonshlp" bas
ing his reasons on the broad foundation of
public policy. Briefly these alternatives in tho
order in which they were suggested are as
follows:
First Delay immediate action and allow the
state department to try to accomplish tho ends
desired by means of a now treaty with Japan.
Second Delay immediate action and appoint
a commission to investigate the subject of alien
land ownership and act In conjunction with tho
president in securing relief.
Third Enact a law similar to the statute In
Illinois, which permits aliens to hold land for
a period not exceeding six years and applf"l
alike to all aliens. u
Fourth Enact a law similar to the federal
statute governing land ownership In the District
of Columbia, which is a general law applying
to all aliens.
Of these alternatives it may safely be said,
according to the leaders In the legislature, that
the last two' are out of the question. Many
democrats favor turning the matter over to the
state department, while the progressive republi
can majority apparently remains unchanged in
its support of a bill that would apply its restric
tions to orientals alone.
The conference with Secretary Bryan served
to show the breadth of the sentiment in favor
of an alien land law that shall be effective In
checking Japanese and Chinese Immigration,. A
dozen or more senators and as many representa
tives declared the people of the state were al
most a unit In declaring for such a law, and It
was thought that if the legislature failed to pass
the bill at this session it would be taken up by
the initiative and passed at the polls.
The conference opened with Lieutenant
Governor Wallace in the chair and Secretary
Bryan seated with Governor Johnson and
Speaker C. C. Young of the assembly on the plat
form. Secretary Bryan was Introduced and In
a brief statement asked the conference to tell
him tho exact situation.
"I was sent to Sacramento at 'the request of
President Wilson," said Secretary Bryan, "to
consult with tho govornor and the members of
tho legislature on the ponding antl-allen jog Il
lation. 1 am inoro Interested In tho metho'ds to
be employed than in the end to bo attained and
I would bo pleased to hear suggestions from any
of you boforo speaking further."
Senator Boynton, administration leader,
thanked Mr. Bryan on behalf of tho legislature
for his visit. Ho then outlined tho situation for
tho visitor, saying In part:
"At the time President Wilson's telegram was
received last week, announcing tho wish to send
Secretary Bryan to confer with this body, there
wero two bills on this subject boforo tho senate.
It was apparent that tho peoplo of the state
were strongly in favor of the onactmcut of an
antl-allen land law and such a law probably
would have been passed boforo this tlmo if It
had not been for the tolcgram from tho presi
dent. At his request we postponed further con
sideration until Mr. Bryan could present his
views."
Senator Boynton then requested Mr. Bryan to
point out specifically tho objections of tho na
tional government and of Japan to tho pending
measures and to give his reasons from a diplo
matic standpoint why Californa should not enact
such a law.
When Mr. Bryan romainod sllont other mora
hers of tho majority party urged him to comply
with tho request. Senator Caminottl, democrat,
suggested that a small group of raombers from
both houses be selected to hoar Mr. Bryan's ar
guments, but Boynton protested and carried his
point.
After several others had spoken, many of
them quoting statistics to show the Increase in
land holdings by Japaneso during "rccont years,
Secretary Bryan arose. His first svuJoment was
concerning the secret conference which ho said
ho had favored, with tho support of Govornor
Johnson and the presiding officers of both
houses.
Secretary Bryan said ho could speak with
more frankness to tho members than ho could
to a' "promiscuous audience."
"As tho representative of tho president," ho
began, "I feel keenly the responsibility that Is
placed upon me.
"I would havo preferred to havo him como
himself, as tho head of the nation, but that
seemed impossible and ho delegated mo to
speak for him. I do not protond to do other
than express his views. I am simply his spokes
man, and I will say to you only that which ho
would have mo say.
"As to tho constitutionality of our treaty with
Japan you will pardon mo if I decline to act as
tho supreme court. Further, as to tho question
of immigration, I think wo can consider that
question as independent of tho land question
with which wo are here concerned."
Questions concerning tho treaty and the im
migration of Japaneso to the United States had
been asked during tho debate. Continuing Mr.
Bryan said:
"I have listened to what you have said, and
I assume everything to bo true, that you have
not overdrawn nor exaggerated the feeling of
the peoplo of California in the matter. I can
assume- that the people demand that something
be done. In that case the first question is
whether the legislation is demanded at thig
time. If It can be delayed, then the first sug
gestion that tho president would have me mako
Is that you pormlt an effort to bo made to deal
with tho question diplomatically with a view to
reaching the samo results without legislation.
"If the demand is so immediate that this can
not be done can action bo deferred for two
years and in Iho meantime have a commission
appointed to investigate conditions and act with
the executive? Would It not be worth while to
try this plan before you adopt tho plan that
might result In unfriendliness from a foreign
nation?
"I am not going to indulge in any specula
tions as to what may happen If you do any
thing now, but I am here to advise against tho
use of any language that would offend any
peoplo that havo dealings with us."
In case Immediate action was demanded Sec
retary Bryan said he would be in favor of a law
framed along tho lines of tho Illinois law, or
the statute in tho District of Columbia, which
are general in character.
"Either of these measures is preferable to
language that contains the words 'ineligible to
citizenship,' " added Secretary Bryan. "Presi
dent Wilson believes that if you use these
words you might as well make a law declaring
specifically against Japanese and Chinese owner
ship. (Continued on Pago 7.)
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