California Joint Immigration Committee
Dear Dr. Gulick,
Our recent interchanges in connection with the Japanese immigration problem have been along such lines of friendly discussion that I indulged the hope that we could work, each in his own field, for the common purpose of lessening the breach between Japan and this country and restoring the old friendly feeling.
The plan which you have inaugurated with George W. Wickersham for granting quota to Japan in 1927, however, reopens the whole question, and regretfully the California Joint Immigration Committee has felt compelled to undertake an aggressive campaign in opposition. The enclosed digest of my statement to the Grand Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West indicates our line of criticism.
You may not regard my judgment as worthy of consideration, but I venture the belief that this attempt to reopen the question will not only not accomplish the desired result, but will greatly increase the present friction with Japan, and, because of the [quasi-endorsement] given by the Federal Council of Churches and other organizations, will markedly decrease church influence among loyal Americans within and without the church fold. Inquiry will inform you that intelligent, well advised and unprejudiced church members in this state agree with me on that point.
Enclosed you will find the comment of J. Russell Kennedy, now Tokyo correspondent of the Chicago News. As you know, Kennedy was formerly general manager of Kokusai, the Japanese news association, and served Japan as publicity agent during the Paris Peace Conference. Undoubtedly he is in position to know Japanese sentiment and cannot afford to misrepresent it. Note also the editorial comment of "Nichi Bei," of this city, the most widely distributed Japanese vernacular newspaper published outside of Japan.
You are presenting the matter to American citizens, not from the American but from the Japanese point of view, based partly on error and misunderstanding. There has been no answer as yet to the statement of facts presented in the Trevor Document #600, "Japanese Exclusion," issued by the House Immigration Committee, Feb. 4, 1925, and in "Congress and Japan" and "California's Answer to Japan," published by this committee.
The more general becomes knowledge of the facts the more certain you are to lose ground with loyal Americans. The Japanese themselves see this, and much as they desire the consummation you have in mind, they realize it cannot be reached in this way.
Careful consideration of this phase of the question by you is invited.
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