Speech #600143906

It is true that last fall. or early in the winter. Assistant Secretary William R. Wheeler. of the Department of Commerce and Labor. stirred up things down on the southern California border near San Diego. and as a result there were several removals of inspectors. and smuggling at that point was somewhat interfered with. but the evidence upon which the removals were made was not secured in the first instance by the Departnent of Commerce and Labor. but by a detective employed for that purpose by the Immigration Commission. The conditions in the Chineseexclusion service may in the last few months be somewhat improved. but not enough to reduce to any considerable extent the number of Chinese coming into this country. And so far as excluding Japanese is concerned. there seems to be no attempt to execute the law. The immigration act of 1907 provides in substance that when in the opinion of the President of the United States alien laborers from our island possessions or from contiguous foreign territory are entering the United States to the disturbance of labor conditions therein. he may by proclamation forbid the entry into this country of such laborers. In accordance with this law the President of tits United States immediately after its passage issued his proclamation forbidding the entry of such laborers from Hawaii. Mexico. or Canada. The effect of all this was. as it was intended to be. to make the entry of Japanese laborers from Hawaii. Mexico. and Canada illegal. and being here contrary to the law such Japanese are subject at any time to arrest and deportation. The issuance of the proclamation seems to be about all that has been done. It may be that when Japanese present themselves to the immigration officials these officials turn them back and forbid them to enter the United States. but there is apparently no attempt to exclude them other than this. On the Mexican border the Rio Grande can. most of the year. be easily forded and can be crossed on rowboats at any time. Hundreds of Japanese have been crossing to the United States nearly every day. and there seems to be scarcely a pretense of preventing them and no arrests and deportation of those who thus surreptitiously and unlawfully enter the country. I do not know. Mr.