156 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



it a matter of international diplomacy. Neither the nation nor the state 

 of California has the slightest control over the schools of San Fran- 

 cisco, unless an action of the school board shall traverse a national or 

 state law or violate a treaty. A treaty has precedence over all local 

 statutes. But the meaning of a treaty can be demonstrated only 

 through judicial process. 



The extravagance of the press in both nations stirred up all the 

 latent partisanship in both races involved. On the one hand the in- 

 juries to the Japanese children were grossly exaggerated. On the other 

 hand, gratuitous slanders were invented to justify the action of the 

 school board. This action was finally rescinded at the request of the 

 President of the United States, who uttered at the same time a sharp 

 reprimand to the people of California. This again was resented by the 

 state, as only five of its citizens were responsible for the act in question, 

 and the people of the state as a whole had no part whatever in anti- 

 Japanese agitation nor any sympathy with the men temporarily in 

 control of affairs in San Francisco. The net result of the whole affair 

 was to alienate sympathy from Japan. This again was unfair, for the 

 Japanese nation as a whole had no responsibility for what, at the 

 worst, was an error of judgment on the part of a few of its immigrants. 



Since this affair was settled I have not heard a word as to the rela- 

 tion of the Japanese to the schools of San Francisco, and I presume that 

 this difficulty, like most others, has disappeared with time and pa- 

 tience and mutual consideration. It is not likely to be heard from 

 again. 



Only a word need be said of other matters which have vexed the 

 international air. War scares are heard the world over. The world 

 over they are set going by wicked men for evil purposes. In general the 

 design of purveyors of international slanders is to promote orders for 

 guns, powder and warships. There are other mischief makers, who 

 hope to fish in troubled waters. 



A few years ago it was suggested in America that the Manchurian 

 railways, built on Chinese territory, by the governments of Eussia and 

 Japan should be sold to China. To this end China should borrow the 

 money of an international syndicate under whose authority the rail- 

 ways should be managed. This line of action was for various reasons 

 impossible to China. The suggestion itself was very unwelcome to the 

 Japan authorities as well as to the Japanese people to whom the leased 

 land between Port Arthur and Mukden is hallowed ground, holding 

 the graves of a hundred and thirty thousand of the young men of 

 Japan. The suggestion itself was personal only. It was never acted 

 upon, never approved by the American people, no official action was 

 ever based upon it, and it should not be a subject of worry to either 

 Eussia or Japan. 



