Speech #660344836

Bryan came. representing the present administration. and interposed his objection. of course at the instance of the Japanese ambassador. but California did not listen at that time to the advice of Mr. Bryan and passed a1 statute. and subsequently. when it was found inadequate. she passed by initiativeone of the processes we may enjoy under our State constitutionla law which closed all the gaps. so we have today a practically perfect law. Ah. if there is anything perfect to resist the chicanery and cunning of the oriental. we have a perfect law which bars Japanese frohi owning or leasing the soil. also Chinese. and also Hindus. because it relates simply to those who under our Federal naturalization laws are ineligible to citizenship. I said if there is anything that would bar an oriental it is that law. but since it was enacted this thing has happened. which is very interesting: In order to prevent the Japanese from changing his form and incorporating himself as a corpoiation and thus owning land. the Japanese were also barred by the law from forming corporations for land ownership in California. By one of the wam r statutes. intended to facilitate the naturalization of those other- . wise eligible who had enlisted for the war. the courts in the Hawaiian Islands. particularly. have admitted Japanese to --itizenship because they had been in the service of the Navy and Army as stewards or waiters or mess boys. and they have actually. to the number of perhaps a thousand or more. become citizens of. the United States. in the very face of the Federal law which limits citizenship to those of the white race or of the. Negro race or of Negro descent. and so they have slipped cunningly under the door. using a mistaken interpretation of a war statute to become citizens. If that were all there were- to it. it might not interest California. but the Japanese. desiring to own land. have brought these socalled naturalized citizens of Japanese origin to California and used them as dummies to organize corporations. and such corporations have .bought the lands. That is history. I will submit for the RECORD. without reading. documentary evidence.