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JOHN B. TREVOR, M. A.

FORMERLY CAPTAIN, MILITARY INTELLIGENCE DIVISION, U. S. A.
CHEVALIER DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR

SUBMITTED TO THE

COMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 8, 1925

FEBRUARY 4, 1925.-Ordered to be printed

STAND

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

1925

B

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APPENDICES

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E. Table showing area and density of population of nations possessing
territory susceptible to increase in population through immigration_

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III

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STANF

USION

JAPANESE EXCLUSION

A STUDY OF THE POLICY AND THE LAW

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Through a memorandum transmitted to the Secretary of State by the Japanese Ambassador under date of May 31, 1924, the Government of Japan served notice upon the American people of its displeasure at the enactment by Congress of the Immigration Act of 1924, and requested that all possible and suitable measures be taken for the removal of an "unjust discrimination." Now, since it has been made the business of certain organized bodies to bring pressure upon Congress for the modification of the exclusion provisions in the law, it behooves the citizens of this nation to understand precisely the nature of the problem with which Congress was confronted in dealing with the question of Japanese immigration. Many people forget that on other occasions, the Congress of the United States felt constrained to take drastic measures for the protection of the nation against an incursion of Oriental peoples. After the utter futility of diplomatic methods of procedure had been conclusively demonstrated, the Exclusion Act of 1882, imperfect as it was, settled the question of Chinese immigration, and when the barred zone was written into the statutes, the Hindus ceased to come. An exception, however, was made respecting the people of Japan at the earnest solicitation of its government, but clearly subject to a condition which has not been fulfilled. However, the Immigration Act of 1924 was not fathered in any spirit of animosity for "restricted immigration is not an offensive but purely defensive action. It is not adopted in criticism of others in the slightest degree, but solely for the purpose of protecting ourselves. We cast no aspersions on any race or creed, but we must remember that every object of our institutions of society and government will fail unless America be kept American." 1

I. ASSIMILATION

The policy of Japanese exclusion is based not, as is sometimes alleged, upon theories as to the relative superiority or inferiority of the white and yellow races of mankind, but upon the fundamental principle that in the development of colonies of unassimilable people upon American soil, are to be found the seeds of national dissolution. As

1 Extract from speech of President Coolidge, accepting the Republican nomination for election, August 14, 1924.

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