Speech #640066109

Chairman. there is in this bill a provision of the greatest interest and importance to the people of the State which I represent in part on this floor. On page 7 will be found a provision which is intended to relate exclusively to the oriental peoples beyond the Pacific Ocean. That provision. in substance. is this: That the Hindu. who claims to be a Caucasian. shall be excluded. and all other peoples who. under our naturalization lawrs. are ineligible to become citizens of the United States. unless their exclusion is provided for by agreements as to passports. treaties. or conventions now existent or which may hereafter be entered into. There is another amendment to the law which I know will also be very pleasing to the people of the Pacific coast. and that is that. although the bill excepts from the exclusion provision merchants. students. travelers. religious teachers. and scientific men. all of whom may come freely to this country. when any person belonging to one of these excepted classes ceases to maintain in this country the status which entitled him to enter and joins the ranks of labor he becomes deportable under the law. Now. if I.understood the reference of the gentleman from New York to this bill as a menace. I want to say to the gentlenman that this bill does not change existing conditions in reference to any Asiatic who comes or has been coming to the United States except the Hindu. He is the only man whose status will be changed by this bill. It will not change the socalled Japanese gentlemans agreement at all. but explicitly recognizes it as in full force and operation. I was familiarmuch more familiar than the gentleman from New Yorkwith the inception of that gentlemans agreement with Japan. because I was called in consultation before it was made. and I know from knowledge thus acquired that that agreement was then acceptable to the Japanese Government. The .Committee on Immigration and Naturalization has not formulated and proposed this addition to the law in regard to orientals without taking into consultation the Secretary of State and the various executive officers of the Government who are familiar with present conditions. They have advised us that they do not see that the provision could be offensive or objectionable to the Japanese or any other Government. I myself see nowhere any menace in this amendment to the law. I would be very loath to vote for any provision that would be an offense to the pride or sensibilities of any nation on the face of the globe. though I could not be deterred by this from taking such action as would fully protect us from any threatened oriental immigration nenace. In this connection I want to say that the people of California an(l the people of the Pacific coast generally have no ill will toward the people of JSnpan or any other Asiatic country.