the people of Japan, and in almost every quarter of the Union the stranger from Japan is treated as he deserves; that is, he is treated as the stranger from any part of civilized Europe is and deserves to be treated.  But here and there a most unworthy feeling has manifested itself toward the Japanese—­the feeling that has been shown in shutting them out from the common schools in San Francisco, and in mutterings against them in one or two other places, because of their efficiency as workers.  To shut them out from the public schools is a wicked absurdity, when there are no first-class colleges in the land, including the universities and colleges of California, which do not gladly welcome Japanese students and on which Japanese students do not reflect credit.  We have as much to learn from Japan as Japan has to learn from us; and no nation is fit to teach unless it is also willing to learn.  Throughout Japan Americans are well treated, and any failure on the part of Americans at home to treat the Japanese with a like courtesy and consideration is by just so much a confession of inferiority in our civilization.

Our nation fronts on the Pacific, just as it fronts on the Atlantic.  We hope to play a constantly growing part in the great ocean of the Orient.  We wish, as we ought to wish, for a great commercial development in our dealings with Asia; and it is out of the question that we should permanently have such development unless we freely and gladly extend to other nations the same measure of justice and good treatment which we expect to receive in return.  It is only a very small body of our citizens that act badly.  Where the Federal Government has power it will deal summarily with any such.  Where the several States have power I earnestly ask that they also deal wisely and promptly with such conduct, or else this small body of wrongdoers may bring shame upon the great mass of their innocent and right-thinking fellows—­that is, upon our nation as a whole.  Good manners should be an international no less than an individual attribute.  I ask fair treatment for the Japanese as I would ask fair treatment for Germans or Englishmen, Frenchmen, Russians, or Italians.  I ask it as due to humanity and civilization.  I ask it as due to ourselves because we must act uprightly toward all men.

I recommend to the Congress that an act be past specifically providing for the naturalization of Japanese who come here intending to become American citizens.  One of the great embarrassments attending the performance of our international obligations is the fact that the Statutes of the United States are entirely inadequate.  They fail to give to the National Government sufficiently ample power, through United States courts and by the use of the Army and Navy, to protect aliens in the rights secured to them under solemn treaties which are the law of the land.  I therefore earnestly recommend that the criminal and civil statutes of the United States be so amended and added to as to