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| Seattle Star, 26-May-1924 |
100 years ago today, on 26-May-1924, President Calvin Coolidge reluctantly signed an immigration law that imposed quotas on other countries and exclusion on Japan. Please excuse the racism.
JAP BAR SIGNED
I'm Forced to
Sign Jap Bill
Coolidge Says
(EDITORIAL)
The Star and others on the west coast who know the danger of Japanese encroachment and who for years have been fighting the growing peril rejoice in the fact that Mr. Coolidge, with his Eastern viewpoint, at last has seen the light.
The president, 'tis true, announced that if the Jap exclusion bill stood alone he would veto it, but that he was forced to sign it because of the need for the remainder of the immigration bill.
That alleviated the pain considerably to the friends of the Japs, with whom Coolidge had been playing. But the fact remains that Jap exclusion was by far the most vital factor in the immigration bill.
The president signed the bill. He knew what he was signing.
And he knew why he was signing it.
WASHINGTON, May 26. -- President Coolidge issued a statement today explaining his action in signing the immigration bill, saying that, however much he regretted the Japanese exclusion clause, "I must consider the bill as a whole and the imperative need of the country for legislation of a general character.
"In signing this bill, which in its main features I heartily approve, I regret the impossibility of severing from it the exclusion provision, which, in the light of existing law, affected especially the Japanese.
"If the exclusion provision stood alone I should disapprove of it without hesitation. * * * But the bill is a comprehensive measure dealing with the whole subject of immigration and setting up the necessary administrative machinery. The quota act of 1921 will terminate June 30, next. It is of great importance that a comprehensive measure should take its place and that the arrangements for its administration should be provided at once in order to avoid hardship and confusion."
Mr. Coolidge took congress to task for insisting on the form of the exclusion provision over his objections, declaring this method of securing it is "unnecessary and deplorable at this time."
To have permitted the government to have negotiated for exclusion by treaty, he said, "would not have derogated from the authority of congress to deal with the question in any exigency requiring its action."
COOLIDGE MAKES
EXCLUSION ACT
AMERICAN LAW
President Flays Ban as He Places
Signature to Immigration Bill
Passed by House and Senate
The bill thus becomes law.
In addition to the Japanese exclusion clause, the provisions of the measure include:
Quotas of all countries are fixed at 2 per cent, based on the foreign population in this country, according to the 1890 census.
After July 1, 1925, immigration will be limited to 150,000, each country getting a quota in this figure, according to the national origins of the foreign population in the United States as shown by the 1920 census.
To prevent congestion and other difficulties at American ports, consulate officers abroad may not issue visas to more than 10 per cent of a country's quota in any month.
Allen seamen on vessels touching at American ports may not land, except for medical treatment.
JAPAN PROTESTS
EXCLUSION ACT
Wives and children of American citizens and citizens of Canada and all western hemisphere republics are exempted from the quota provisions.
Japan, thru her envoy here, Ambassador Hanihara, first protested last winter against the measure acted upon today by the president. Hanihara sent a communication to Secretary of State Hughes protesting against the bill, then pending in congress. This never was made public, however.
Later, Hughes sent a letter to congress giving the state department’s views on different phrases of the bill, The letter codtained strong objections to the Japanese exclusion provision, but Hughes' protest was ignored by congress.
When the bill came up for action in congress, the Japanese ambassador sent his famous note warning that enactment of the proposed law would resuit in "grave consequences" to the relations between the United States and Japan.
Hughes was somewhat shocked at this statement in Hanihara's note, but upon analysis he concluded that it contained no real threat to the United States. He sent the note to congress, because he believed it highly valuable in that Hanihara set forth the terms of the secret gentlemen’s agreement under which Japanese immigration virtually has been excluded for years and announced his government’s willingness to revise this agreement in accordance with the desires of the United States.
HANIHARA NOTE
IS SENSATION
The note had anything but a beneficial effect, however, causing a sensation. Several senators announced that altho they had intended to support the administration's opposition to the bill, they would vote for the measure because of Hanihara's warning. This development resulted in the passage of the bill by the senate, the measure already having been adopted in the house.
When the bill went to conference, President Coolidge exerted pressure in private negotiations with congressional leaders to have the exclusion clause modified. He proposed that the effective date for exclusion be postponed until March 1, 1926, and that a provision be inserted to the effect that the exclusion clause would not apply to nationals of those countries with which the United States negotiated treaties covering immigration.
The plan was to provide enough time for Sccretary Hughes to negotiate a treaty with Japan carrying the principle of exclusion and based on the gentlemen's agreement. This would have been a concession for Japan as the position of that country in trying to avold a law on immigration was to prevent the stigma of legislative exclusion. A treaty would have had about the same effect, but in a more gracious manner.
EXCLUSION MADE
EFFECTIVE JULY 1
The conferees first rejected President Coolidge's compromise proposal and announced that exclusion would be fixed for July 1. At the last minute, however, the conferces, upon the insistence of the president, agreed upon a postponement to March 1, 1925, and reported this to congress.
This was beaten in the house, however, and the conference report was again revised to make exclusion effective July l.
Signature of the bill, after this protracted fight, puts Mr. Coolidge in the position of surrendering to the will of congress in the matter. He is expected, however, to make his views plain In the statement accompanying his action, which will be lssued later today.
"The Japanesse exclusion provision, which has been the storm center of the present measure, states:
"No allen ineligible to citizenship shall be adinitted to the United States * * *"
The effect of this provision is to bar, by law, all Japanese coolie immigration, The clause does not specifically mention Japanese, but the intent of congress is directed against the Japanese, as other Asiatics already are excluded by law.
INCREASES WORK
IN SEATTLE
Details of Changes Not Yet
Settled, Says Chief
Restricting immigration of Asiatics thru the Seattle port will not mean less work for immigration service operatives, according. to Luther Weedin, inspector here, Monday. It will mean more work, he belleves.
"Of course, there will be fewer Japanese coming thru out station," he explained, "and possibly a less number of Chinese, but, on the other hand, there will be many Orlentals to be held here until they can give proof of parents and families in the United States. We also expect many arrest cases, where individuals wiil be picked up and held for deportation.
"As a matter of fact," he added, "we don't know yet just where we are or what changes in personnel or arrangements will be made after July 1, when the bill goes into effect. There are certain apparent conflicts to arise out of the new law as compared with the former regulations, and we must wait for an interpretation by our department heads before making future plans."
Weedin added that no changes were being contemplated here for the present, and he could give no approximate changes in quotas thru the Seattle immigration station, except that he believed business would be I greater.
Citizens Comment
on Coolidge Action
Miller Freeman, editor Pacific Fisherman, said: "The signing of the immigration bill marks the culmination of a long fight and defines definitely a policy, proper on the part of this country. The charges that it discriminates against the Japanese are untrue, in what the law affects approximately one-half of the population of the world -- all Orientals.
"I would sound a further note of warning to Japanese now in this country to see that the law is obeyed and that they be not led astray by past propaganda of their press and other sources. They cannot use the United States to build a colony or become a racial factor in this country.
"Now I would like to see the federal goyernment prosecute the Mitsui company on charges of taking millions of dollars out of the treasury during the war.
Thanks are due The Star as the only daily paper in Seattle which consistently pushed the matter and allowed "freedom of speech" in its columns, by which all the facts were known. It has been the policy of The Star to allow as frank and open discussion of the problem. Thus the facts of aggression were brought out clearly, instead of suppressing them, as the opposition has done. Without the aid of The Star our task would have been much greater."
City Councilman Phil Tindall, commenting on the signing of the immigration bill, said:
"President Coolidge should be commended for signing the exclusion act. He was under tremendous pressure to veto the act.
"I belleve he came to learn that it would be fatal to start negotiations for a treaty. Japan had a number of questions, such as land fownership, citizenship, etc., that she wished to bring out by treaty.
"American business interests that sought to develop China and Manchurla, and the churches, which would sacrifice the Pacific coast to give thelr missionaries a few converts, opposed the exclusion act."
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