"I AM FOR WAR!"

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13069, 8 May 1913, Page 8

"I AM FOR WAR!"

A BELLICOSE SPEECH. WASHINGTON, April 30. ' Representative Sisson, of Mississippi, made a bellicose speech m the House. "If- we must either have war or submit to indignity," he. said, ' then I am for war. lam with the people of California m their efforts to prevent, aliens from acquiring land. I believe that no non-resident \ alien should be allowed to i hold a single foot of land m the United j States. . " 'What would Washington say m answer to the question, 'War or submission?' What would Jackson say, or Cleveland, or M'Kinley? I resent the I efforts of Japan to force us to submit to ber demands. I contend that the people of California have a right to enact laws with respect to the holding of land by aliens when those laws do not infringe the Federal Constitution. "An alien population holding land within our confines, .would, bo a constant menace. We must preserve for the American farmer the right to own the soil of our country without competition of a kind that: would drag down the standard of living. I woulii not .surrender it .until, we,,had,,,spent tlie last, drop. of. blood of American manhood and impoverished the ; country for a hundred generations." The House listened attentively to the speaker, and frequently cheered liis utterances. SAN FRANCISCO, April 30. The State Governor, Mr Hiram Johnson, declares that* it is not the -dignity of Japan but that of California which is at stake m the present trouble over the Alien Land Bill. . i , . A message from Tokio reports that 7!0, v American missionaries there held a meeting, a.t which a resolution was passed, protesting against California's*discriminating legislation. ■ ■ '■ ''- • ■ ■ '-■ , LONDON, April 30. Before ' leaving Washington, for Call-, fornia to discuss with the. .legislators of that State the objectionable provisions of the Alien Land Bill, M,r Bryan,. Secretary of .State, conferred with Pesident. Wilson and with -the- - Japanese Ambassador. . . :'. . „ j ; ; ■The directors of-, the -Panama Exposition, have protested against the enactnient of the proposed -law* ■■■-■ ..--. ' Mr posevelt has written' to ; the •Governor of strongly -urging how unwise it would be to- force the passage of the- Anti- Alien Land Bill. • The. ex-President points out that the adoption of. the measure against which Japan has been protesting- so energetically • would expose the unfinished Panama Canal to, destruction 1 m the event of war. ■ ;: ■'••■■...