Speech #570041683

Washington. March 22. 1902. Sin: When the Chinese Government consented in 1880 to a modification of the treaty of 1868. whereby the free immigration of Chinese laborers into the United States was restricted. it was provided in the treaty that where the legislation of Congress authorized by that convention was likely to work hardship on the Chinese suljects the minister in Washington would be permitted to communicate with the Secretary of State. to the end that mutual and unqualified benefit might result. In making use at this time of the privilege grantedin the cited treaty provision. I desire not to be understood as antagonizing the just provisions of pending legislation or influencing Congressional action. but to bring to your attention. and through you to Congress. some of the hardships which will inevitably result to the subjects of China in case some of the proposed legislation should become a law. Sould I remain silent until the bills now before Congres be enacted into a law. it will then be too late to remedy the evil. I trust. therefore. that what I say to you may aid the honorable Congress in making a right conclusion on the snbject. I desire especially to direct attention to the bill s. 2960. which has been reported to the Senate from the Committee on Immigration. In the concludtog paragraph of the report which accompanies the upll it is said: "There can he no doubt that under a wise. humane. and fearless enforcement of this act the importation of Chinese laborers will be prevented and the ingress of Chinese merchants and others of the exempt classes facilitated and that the present relations between the United States and China will be strengthened thereby." I feel it my duty to say to you. and through you to the Congress which will soon he called to act upon this bill. that if it becomes a law it will have just the contrary effect from that stated by the committee. It can not fail to seriously disturb the friendly relations which have up to the present existed between the two Governments and peoples. I do not wish to go into the different prvisions of the bill in detail. but I should like to call your attention in a general way to its effects. It restricts the privileged Chinese persons. other than laborers. to come to the United States to only five classes. viz. officials. teachers. students. merchants. and travelers. in direct contravention to the treaty of 1880. in Article I where it states that the limitation or suspension of immigration shall apply only to laborers. "other classes not being included in the limitation. So also the history of the negotiation shows that it was the intention of the two Governments that laborers alone were to be excluded. Under the bill there would be excluded hankers. capitalists. commercial agents or brokers. and even merchants who come only to makeurchases. aiso scholars and professors. of which there re many in China of egh attainments. also physicians. clergymen. and man other classes which do not ar under the five classes exempt by the bill.