12 APRIL 1913, Page 1

The Washington correspondent of the Times says in Monday's paper

that once more the United States Govern- ment is embarrassed by Californian prejudice against the Japanese. A Bill before the Californian Legislature pro- hibits aliens who are not eligible for citizenship from owning land. The Japanese ambassador has already announced that

if the Bill should become law it would contravene treaty rights. In California, however, it is believed that the Bill will pass. It is the old trouble of the looseness of the hold which the Federal Government has over State Govern- ments. In 1907, when Japanese children were refused admission to Californian schools, Mr. Roosevelt settled the difficulty by personal suasion, but that irregular method can hardly be applied systematically.