Speech #590155571

President. what is this muchtalkedof question about wiich the President has grown excited and belligerent toward a portion of our fellowcitizens and with which the daily press is filled? We are informed that there have been secret and mysterious conferences between the President and the California delegation in Congress. and we are told that tile mayor and board of school trustees of San Francisco have been asked by the President to travel across tie continent and coie here. doubtless that he may persuade them to surrender. so far as they can. the States sovereign right to control its domestic schools. that this Administration and the country may be thus relieved from the embarrassment in which they have been involved by what I believe to be an erroneous and untenable position assumled by the President. Briefly stated. the question is this: The school board of San Francisco. in pursuance of a statute of California authorizing such action. provided that Japanese citizens residents of that city should not attend schools provided for white children. but might attend equally good but separate schools. provided at the public expense. for children of the Mongolian race. This would seem to be a purely local matter involving the management and control of one of the States domestic concerns and over which the State of California and its municipality would seem to have exclusive jurisdiction. In. the absence of and independent of the question raised by this treaty no one.