the admission of the so-called 'picture brides' and the A Japanese, F. T. Kono, of 510 Battery Street, San Francisco (July 16, 1920), on the same day testified: "As to the standard of living, several discussions have been presented already, but I will say that the Japanese farmer during the last six or seven years, I think, to my knowledge, that the standard of living is higher than those of the other farmers. It is my understanding that there was some confusion in the mixing up in the definitions of the standard of living and the cost of living. There is a vast difference between the two. The Japanese farmers in some cases might live at less cost of living, but that does not necessarily mean that they are living on a lower standard of living. The economy of the farm life will prove that, which I can show by different statements if necessary The Committee on Immigration and Naturalization brought in a report on Living Conditions in California in 1920, a portion of which is as follows: "The working conditions and living conditions of the Japanese farmer and farm laborer make successful competition by American farmers almost impossible. The Japanese farmers and every member in the family physically able to do so, including the wife and little children, work in the field long hours, practically from daylight to dark, on Sundays and holidays, and in the majority of cases live in shacks or under conditions far below the standards required and desired by Americans." 23 THE 1920 ANTI-ALIEN LAND INITIATIVE MEASURE In the fall of 1920, the newspaper columns of Japan and of the United States discussed at length the subject of land ownership by 22"Hearings in California," Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, July, 1920, p. 752. 23 Report of the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, San Francisco and Sacramento, California, July 12-14, 1920, p. 117. Japanese in California, and the vote to be taken in November on the Initiative Measure which would determine the attitude of California on this subject. Briefly, the proposed Anti-Alien Land Measure to be voted upon November 2, 1920, would strengthen the present land law which prohibits land ownership by aliens ineligible to citizenship, but it also would prohibit the leasing of farm land by this class of aliens. Besides which it sought to exercise control over alien Japanese who purchase land in the name of children of Japanese parents born in the United States, and who therefore were citizens. In this way, these aliens technically followed the law, but nevertheless were enabled to work and control the land, even though the legal title was in the names of infants. The law also would provide for more stringent regulations in respect to corporation land laws, since the practice had grown up of using non-aliens as directors of Japanese corporations in order that the letter of the law might be fulfilled. The question was also one of diplomatic negotiation between the Japanese Ambassador in Washington and Secretary of State Colby for the reason that alien land ownership had reached the point of being a political issue in national politics, as well as the burning question in official circles.24 The Japanese Association of California through its branch at Los Angeles, sent a protest to President Wilson as follows: "The Japanese understand that real Americans never support any discriminatory treatment of foreigners and therefore we hereby pass the resolutions expressing our sincere desire and trust that we may be given the most fair treatment in the names of both humanity and the American national principle of fairness and justice.25 Out of this intense situation grew the strongest determination among anti-Japanese agitators to pass this measure which was designed to strengthen the power of the Alien Land Law, passed by the California Legislature in 1913. This Initiative Measure ¦ amending the California Alien Land Law, was submitted to the voters on November 2, 1920, and from the 987,632 votes cast, 668,483 were in favor, while 222,086 were opposed. According to 24 Millard, Thomas F. F., " Review of the Far East," October 9, 1920. 25 The Japan Advertiser of Tokyo, September 26, 1920. the discussion of the measure and the balloting upon the bill, the proponents seemed to think in terms of immigration, while the opponents of the law were largely influenced by the discrimination involved by its passage and enforcement. The 1920 Anti-Alien Land Initiative Measure in substance may be summarized as follows: (a) It prohibits owning of land by Japanese or leasing of farm land by them. (b) It prohibits acquisition of real property by American-born Japanese minors who are citizens of the United States, although under the guardianship of their parents. Also, it deprives Japanese parents of their right to be guardians of their minor children who own real property. (c) It allows of escheat of real property to the state upon certain prima facie presumptions. (d) It forbids Japanese from having any interest in any company or corporation owning real property. The Asahi-Shimbun, a daily newspaper of Tokyo, on November 18, 1920, discussed the anti-Japanese legislation, and, later on in November, the Japanese Press continued its tone of conciliation regarding the California Alien Land Act. The influence of the government was said to have been the cause of this pacific attitude. Dr. I. Iyenaga, graduate of Johns Hopkins University and now director of the East and West News Bureau, delivered a speech in New York on November 21, 1920, in which he deplored the California Land Ownership Act and stated that it would raise the cost of living in California, and would lead to a further straining of relations between the two governments. STANDARD OF LIVING IS REASON FOR EXCLUSION It is thus believed that the elements of grave international complications are contained in the recent California Alien Land Law adopted November 2, 1920, relating to the leasing and selling of land to the Japanese. One of his reasons for "Why California objects to the Japanese Invasion" by Senator James D. Phelan, of California in 1921, is that a large majority of the American people are engaged in farming pursuits and "their standards of living cannot suffer from deterioration" for the Japanese are |