Japanese Relations and State Rights
By Editor
America and Japan.—If America and Japan can keep their peace pact, notwithstanding antagonistic manifestations in the Legislatures of California and Nevada, if the Federal Government can prevent these states from passing anti-Japanese legislation, and still preserve the doctrine of state rights, and if the Legislatures of these states can yield to the wishes of the Federal Government and still preserve their status with the labor unions, some surprising thing must certainly take place. These are the conditions just at present which exist in state, national, and international affairs. A few weeks ago we were rejoicing over the conditions of amity and good will between Japan and America as expressed by articles which had been drawn up by the two powers, and many were looking forward to a long time of peace, but scarcely was the ink dried before the Legislatures of California and Nevada immediately determined to carry through anti-Japanese legislation; especially prohibiting the Japanese from coming to these states, or owning real estate within their borders. It looks as tho California would yield to the wishes of the Federal Government and let its anti-Japanese bills die, but Nevada seems determined to push her bills through, utterly regardless of the wishes of the President. And so we say again that if peace can be preserved notwithstanding all these conditions, it will be amazing. Americans, of course, know the relation between the Federal Government and the states, but Japan does not know this; and all treaties between the governments have nothing to do with the states so far as the foreign power is concerned; but to preserve these treaties intact, it would look as tho the American doctrine of state rights must at least bend some. All the talk and misunderstanding of the last few weeks show on what a slender thread hangs the peace of the world. To-day it is peace, to-morrow uncertainty, the next day may be war.