deposited with and distributed by the court in accordance with the interest of the parties therein.

Sec. 7. Nothing in this act shall be construed as a limitation upon the power of the State to enact laws with respect to the acquisition, holding or disposal by aliens of real property in this State.

Sec. 8. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent or in conflict with the provisions of this act, are hereby repealed.

APPENDIX C

A JAPANESE SUMMARY STATEMENT CONCERNING THE STRUGGLE OVER THE ENACTMENT OF THE CALIFORNIA ALIEN LAND LAW

Upon the opening of the last session of the State Legislature of California, the Imperial Government made to Mr. Taft, then the President, and to Mr. Knox, then the Secretary of State, an earnest request that, in order to prevent the enactment of anti-Japanese laws, appropriate and effective measures might be taken by the Federal Government, as had been done in similar circumstances on previous occasions. This they gladly complied with. As, however, it was near the close of his administration, Mr. Taft could not do much before he was relieved by Mr. Wilson. In view of the situation which prevailed in the State of California at that time, the Imperial Government thought it wise to call the special attention of the new Administration to the matter and instructed Ambassador Chinda to approach the new President for that purpose. Mr. Wilson received Ambassador Chinda on March 5, the second day of the new Administration. Under instructions of his Government, Viscount Chinda stated to the President, on that occasion, that the Imperial Government were deeply pained to find, in spite of Japan's constant friendly atti

tude towards the United States, various bills of anti-Japanese nature pending in the Legislatures of the Pacific Coast States, particularly in that of California, and that, should any of these bills become a law, the effect would be very serious, and the Ambassador expressed an earnest hope that the new Executive would, in the interest of the friendly relations of the two countries, exhaust his best endeavors to check the threatened hostile legislation. The President thanked the Ambassador for the representation thus made, and assured him that, although the Central Government could not, under the Constitution of the United States, interfere with the rights reserved to the States of the Union, he would not hesitate to do all in his power to meet the wishes of the Imperial Government. On March 13, the same assurance was given to the Ambassador by Mr. Bryan, the Secretary of State.

Meantime, in California our Consul was doing all that he could properly do in the circumstances. Besides, the Panama Pacific International Exposition Company, which was energetically opposed to the enactment of hostile measures, did not hesitate to use every legitimate means in their power, to prevent the antagonistic measures in question from being carried out. In addition, a number of chambers of commerce and other influential bodies passed resolutions condemning such antiJapanese legislation, and similar views were also expressed in no small number of newspapers.

In the first part of the session the fate of the

bill remained in doubt, but in the latter half of the session the activities of the anti-Japanese members in the Legislature increased and the situation became serious.

Thereupon Ambassador Chinda, under instructions from the Imperial Government, had an interview first with the Secretary of State on April 12, and then with the President on April 15. On both occasions, the Ambassador, after dwelling upon the traditional friendship between Japan and the United States, explained how very sincere the Imperial Government had always been in their desire to maintain and strengthen the friendly relations of the two countries, and as illustrative of the sentiments of good accord and good neighborhood, he pointed out such instances as the voluntary restriction of emigration of Japanese to the United States, as well as their prompt acceptance of the invitation to participate in the San Francisco Fair and the like. The Ambassador then stated that the number of Japanese and their activities in California were greatly exaggerated by the public, and he declared that the acreage of the land owned by them was too small to justify any apprehension or uneasiness on the part of the people of California, and in these circumstances, the Imperial Government could not, he said, understand why the lawful rights of Japanese must be curtailed or abridged by such unjust and extraordinary enactments, and he added, that such discrimination was likely to bring deplorable consequences to the relations of friendship as well as to the commercial

intercourse between Japan and the United States, and that for the sake of the honor and dignity of the country, if for no other reason, the Imperial Government could not remain indifferent to such unfair treatment of their people. The Ambassador then asked the President and the Secretary of State that greater efforts be made by the Federal Government to prevent the passage of the measure in question.

To this, both the President and the Secretary of State responded that they fully appreciated the wish of the Japanese Government, and they took particular pains in explaining that the power to grant land ownership rested entirely with the Authorities of the State, and the exceptional circumstance, they added, that the Federal Administration and the State authorities of California happen to belong to different political parties, made the situation all the more difficult to deal with. Both officers further assured the Ambassador that the representations made by him would be given most sympathetic consideration, and the best efforts of the United States Government be made with a view to bring about an amicable settlement of the question and they asked him to bring this attitude on their part to the notice of his Government so that it might be thoroughly understood by them.

On April 18, the President caused the Secretary of State to send a telegram to the Governor of California, advising him that while the President was not in the least inclined to disregard the independence of the legislative power of the State