Early in 1908 the Department of State issued a confidential print entitled "Japanese Emigration and Immigration to American Territory," and comprising "the views interchanged between the Government of the United States and the Government of Japan, and also various assurances given by the Imperial Japanese Government."

The present publication, supplementing that mentioned above, includes the further views exchanged between the Governments of the United States and Japan, together with certain correspondence between the Department of State and other branches of this Government.

With this official record also are given statistics of Japanese arrivals in and departures from the United States and Hawaii and a résumé of views which may be deemed accurately to reflect public sentiment in California with regard to the subject under consideration-a public sentiment which prompted the bills introduced early in 1909 in the California legislature, and which is extending, as will be seen from the memorandum on proposed anti-Japanese legislation in certain western States.

For easy reference the administrative measures which this Government suggested that the Japanese Government enforce in restricting emigration to this country and the present substance of the same as modified by an extensive correspondence are summarized herein. The Immigration Laws and Regulations affecting this subject are also reprinted in this volume.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

DIVISION OF FAR EASTERN AFFAIRS,

June 3, 1909.

I

I.

MEMORANDUM REGARDING THE ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES PROPOSED BY UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR ADOPTION BY JAPANESE GOVERNMENT, AND ACCEPTANCE THEREOF OR COUNTER PROPOSALS BY JAPANESE GOVERNMENT.

The administrative measures to restrict Japanese emigration to the United States which our immigration authorities suggested should be enforced by the Japanese Government, and which form the basis of the present understanding with Japan, were communicated to the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs November 26, 1907. Reply thereto was received on the 30th of December, and on the 31st certain counter proposals were advanced by the Tokyo Foreign Office. The Secretary of State responded in a telegram dated January 23, 1908. On the 18th of February the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs replied. Ambassador O'Brien again addressed the Foreign Office on the 21st, and on the 23d received from Count Hayashi a memorandum which terminated the general discussion of this subject. Further correspondence regarding the status of "settled agriculturists" has more recently been exchanged between the two Governments.

The six propositions advanced by the Government of the United States contemplated

(a) The issuance by the Japanese Government of passports of specified character to all Japanese and Koreans leaving their respective countries. (b) The nonissuance by Japan of passports to the continental territory of the United States to laborers or those likely to become laborers.

(c) The limitation of the number of passports issued for Hawaii. (d) Recognition by Japan that those persons who while in the United States become laborers, or who enter this country in violation of the regulations governing the issuance of passports, should forfeit their rights under their passports.

(e) The registration of Japanese in the United States.

(f) The enforced return, at the expense of the steamship companies or of both Governments, of persons fraudulently entering the United States.

Japan, in the negotiations which followed the presentation of the foregoing propositions, agreed

(a) To exercise great care in issuing passports and to warn the applicants therefor of the consequence of making false representation and the fraudulent use of passports.

(b) Not to issue passports to laborers, skilled or unskilled, except those who have been domiciled in the United States, or to the families of such persons.

(c) Temporarily to suspend all further emigration to Hawaii.

(d) To refuse further applications made by parties who had evaded the limitations placed on the issuance of passports, such refusal to apply also to the families of the parties mentioned.

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(e) To undertake the establishment of a system of registration; failure to register, however, not to involve the forfeiture of residential rights.

(f) Japan has no hope of the success of an attempt to secure domestic legislation calculated to force Japanese steamship companies to bear the expense of returning to Japan emigrants who have violated the conditions. under which Japanese may enter the United States. Discussion of this point therefore was apparently never extended beyond its initial stage. A somewhat fuller summary follows:

PROPOSITION OF UNITED STATES NO. I.

The Imperial Japanese Government to continue to require all Japanese or Nature of passports Korean subjects who leave their countries to have passports; all suggested. such passports to be written on distinctive, durable paper; to be dated the day of issue; to be signed by a regularly designated official, of whom there shall be a limited number, so that there may be no difficulty in promptly recognizing such a signature; and to describe the person to whom granted and his occupation in such detail as to make his identification as the rightful holder thereof both easy and certain. (Book,* p. 62.)

Modifications of Proposition No. 1.

Passports should be exact and specific and be issued with the greatest care to prevent forgery and false personation. (Book, p. 88.)

furnish.

RESPONSE OF JAPAN TO PROPOSITION NO. I.

The Japanese Government feels that there has been some misunderstanding on the part of the American authorities regarding the Japanese passCharacter of passport which Japan will port system (Book, p. 93). The Japanese Government will introduce certain modifications into passport form now used, including various matters of detail, and will omit no safeguard against fraud (pp. 28, 34); but such Government is not willing to print on the passport a warning against improper use thereof or even to print such warning on a separate slip of paper to be attached to the passport. Said Government is ready, however, to give instructions under which persons to whom passports are granted will be warned in clear and unmistakable terms, orally, at the time the passport is delivered, or to have the prefectural authorities issue general official notices admonishing applicants regarding false representations and fraudulent use of passports (p. 34).

The Japanese Government does not question the utility of a rule permitting the issuance of passports by a limited number of specially authorized Japanese passports to be issued by limited officials only; in fact, such a rule is already followed to a certain number of officials. extent, the practice being to require local officials to refer to the Foreign Office all cases involving serious doubt, and instructions have been issued widening the scope of this rule. If certain plans receive legislative sanction, the clerical force of the Foreign Office will be sufficiently increased to permit of a still further application of said rule (p. 34).

Passports not to be issued to laborers or

PROPOSITION OF THE UNITED STATES NO. 2.

The Imperial Japanese Government to continue its declared policy of issuing no passports good for the continental territory of the United States to Japanese or Korean laborers, skilled or unskilled, and hereafter those likely to become likewise invariably to refuse such passports to all those who from choice or from force of circumstances are likely to become laborers if they enter the United States. The economic status after arrival in the United States to be carefully investigated in advance and to determine the classification irrespective of previous occupation. (Book, p. 62.)

laborers.

*As a matter of convenience, the pamphlets embodying correspondence on the emigration and immigration of Japanese exchanged between 1892 and January 29, 1908, will herein be referred to as the "Book."