| Show SCHOOL BOARDS IRE IS AROUSED AOU EO Hits at the President Over the Shoulders of Mrs Harris Mis Missionary Missionary to Japan HIS ASSUMPTIONS ERRONEOUS to as I In ing Deductions of n a Politician High la 11 Authority San Francisco Dec 20 In reply to toa II a communication from Mrs Irs Flora lloro D one of at the tho most afloat widely known ot of the American missIonaries now residing re siding In Tokio on th the Japanese school question In this city the tho Sun San board ot of education through Its seers tary Elmore C has framed an answer which be malted to Japan Mrs letter is b con conceived conceived In It a friendly attitude though she sho does doell not hesitate to 10 criticise what wHal she sho terms the provincIal spirit of the tho local She Sho deprecates tho at tempt to the tho Japanese liS as crimInals or anything else calculated to convey a derogatory Implication and has hns a 11 number of at sugi suggestions to make which she sho presents wIth the tho best ot of good feeling Mrs Harriss communication has hall ap patently aroused the tho Ire ot of the tho San Francisco school board whIch resents the tho Inter torence but welcomes the tho oc elision casion to put Itself On record Defiance Denance seems to be ba the keynote of at the reo to pi ply and the tho presIdent ot of the tho United States Is said laId to have the local situation MRS HARRISS LETTER In n a portion ot at her letter sn says IJ I 1 the misunderstanding In San FrancIsco The has become n a mere terry ferry for travel and commerce and San must therefore be cosmopolitan In spirit rather than pro I 1 with many others regret that she has shown It a lack Inck of at knowledge nil as regards our treaty obligations It Is news to us all that the children of at any foreign residents under our flag can bo be excluded tram from the public schools and aM segregated wIthout theIr consent sole ly on account of their nationality To found special pUblic ot of the di dl verso erso nations would be to establish a dangerous precedent TIlE BOARDS REPLY In the reply ot of the board of at education Is found the following The rhe Japanese hoe have not been ex cx tram from the public schools of at SIn San l Francisco Despite the fact that no less a personage than th the president of at the States has hus employed a lar ar assertion In framIng II a message to Congress and notwithstanding the wholly holly unfair report made malle of the entire school Incident by the secretary of commerce and labor the lion Victor It H Metcalf the declaration that the have been excluded from our schools Is an error The of California ns as you yon term It Is oddly enough reflected In ht the h hearts an and mInds or at people ot of Oregon and citizens whose patriotism does not place In the tho soft ort glow ot of n a far tUI east enst eastern ern sun and who whose e life lite blood has hIlS been shed snore times than once III h defense of at treaty rights right ot of liberty of Justice and the or of In Let Lct me sa say In closing that the board of educatIon has nOt set net out to offend any race of people or visit hardships or even embarrassments upon them The new rule In hl force torce would not oven even b bA commented upon It if the Japanese children were by their elders and their mentors quietly to attend the tho oriental school whIch as I have said Is Ill as excellent as any In the tho city We are spared the flU perilous de hates ot of diplomats and statesmen and did the agents or of two grout greut nations but con consent ent to refraIn from scoring a 11 dip point by usIng th this school topic nil as n a pretext there cannot bo be any question but that the Japanese child children ten ren would today bo be attend attending In the orb orl school In happiness and can content t nt and there would not be the slightest excuse for friction the two great grent nations that have enjoyed friend friendly ly h relations In the past and let us hope hOllO may continuo continue to In the future The tact fact that the president or of the United States basIng arguments upon erroneous assumptions and framing against a loyal people scathing crill clams clIms regarding II a matter mailer which Is purely one of local concern does not In inthe the tho least deter the people of the Pacific coast who after all are doubtless the tho best beet judges of at the their r own Immediate needs and welfare Neither do the mIsleadIng deductions and recommendations of at n a politician hIgh tn In nn au authority when voiced d through II a docu document I mont ment whIch plainly sought the light of favor and not of truth Impress the people of thIs locality with any sense of doubt RS as to theIr rights as AmerIcans or ns to the justice ot of the tho stand they hove 1110 taken WIthout the In Intervention of or prejudiced prejudiced diced men California would deeply have appreciated nn an opportune It to 10 the fundamental right to deal with thIs subject alone J I regret that I have not the opportunity hero here further to exploit ah ab absorbing topic In the hope that I mIght bring a former to the vIews now entertaIned by every evely lon citizen of the state but It at the same ame time let ma 1110 assure you that J I lily appreciate clate your valued letter leller and that t 1 am amnot amnot not unmindful o of the wel weight ht and worth of at th the information whIch you rou afford me meThe The greatest grievance In connection lion tion with this with the board of education and the people of California now harbor Is that motives should be facts dIstorted and lied and the th entire subject be b bup e caught raught up as a flimsy excuse for tor a regret regrettable table International debate and a pro text upon which politicians may stir the people of two great reat countrIes Yours respectfully E C Secretary Board of Education |
