Sidney Lewis Gulick to Jane Addams, April 1, 1924

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NATIONAL COMMITTEE
ON
AMERICAN JAPANESE RELATIONS

287 FOURTH AVE., NEW YORK.

April 1, 1924.

Miss Jane Addams,
Chicago, Ill.

My dear Miss Addams:

An unusually interesting letter has just come from Japan. It seems that the action of our Committee opposing the paragraph of the House Immigration Bill which was aimed at Japan was cabled to Japan and was widely noted in the press with favorable comment.

That action of ours helps them to realize that there are influential forces here working for fair play and a square deal.

Our Committee was represented at the Hearings of the Senate Immigration Committee on March 11-14, when the Anti-Japanese phases of the House Immigration Bill were taken up. Messrs. McClatchy, Webb and Phelan came from California for the avowed purpose of combatting the work of this Committee and of the Federal Council's Commission on International Justice and Goodwill.

Their testimony was prolix and largely irrelevant. It was the same old story, exhibiting ill-will and race prejudice bolstered up by many misstatements. Their main effort was to prove that the Gentleman's Agreement had been continuously violated, that Japanese were pouring into the country and especially into California, and that the Japanese are absolutely unassimilable and are, therefore, a menace.

Important appeals for fair play were made by two missionaries, Drs. Schneder and Bowles, in addition to the appeals by the Secretary of the Foreign Missions Conference, Mr. F. P. Turner, and by your secretary, who also represented the Federal Council's Commission. Important telegrams from various centers on the Pacific Coast, opposing the anti-Japanese features of the House bill, were received by the Senate Committee.

The continued and determined character of the Anti-Japanese propaganda makes it clear that fresh and attractive printed material should be prepared at once and widely circulated. [page 2]

May we have your financial as well as your moral support in this highly important campaign of education for right relations between America and Japan?

This committee needs $5000 for its work for the current year.

Very sincerely yours,

Sidney L. Gulick [signed]

Chairman