The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 24, 1902, Page 1

’ \ Call, N VOLUME XCL-NO 55. SAN FRANCISCO, FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1902. PRICE FIVE CENTS. IN COrlING HORDES OF COOLIES FIND FRIENDS IN MEN WHO STOOD HIGH IN NATION’S COUNCILS BIG BASIN PARK PURCHASE AND PRESERVATION OF TREES EXCITE INTERESTING DEBATE Question of the Price of the Land and the Conduct of | the State Commission Considered in San Jose Convention. —~ —_— GLOSES DEAL FOR DANISH EaT INDIES Offer of United States for the Islands Is Accepted. Denmark Is Ready to Sell the Group for 83,000,000 or $4,000,000 Inhabitants Are Given the Right to Vote Upon the Proposition Be- fore the Money Is Finally Paid. Special Dispatch to The Call. CALL BUREAU, 106 G STRE;ET, N. W., WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.—Den- mark has formally communicated to the United States her willingness to accept the terms offered by Secretary Hay for her three West Indian islands. Minister Brun, her diplomatic representative in Washmgton, called at the State Depart- ment this afternoon and communicated this intelligence to Secretary Hay. The | repcrt from Copenhagen that the treaty | will be signed to-morrow is an error. Minister Brun has not yet received full | powers, which he must have in order to sign the treaty. These will come within 3o ENTION HELD IN SAN JOSE YESTERDAY, WHEN THE M E C 5 ATTER OF IASE OF A PARK IN THE BIG BASIN REGION AND THE PRESERY N ’ 8 OCCASIONED AN EXCITING DEBATE. wowribi oL — + JOSE, Jan. 23.—Attorney Ross of Redwood City sensation to-day at the ntion that was held in the t Unitarian Church in this y for the purpose of urging &ction upon the State commission appoint- ed to & park Big Basin in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties. A long preamble had been adopted, in which it was set forth that the lands offered to the commission by the Big Basin Lumber Company are worth $100 per acre. D. M. Delmas had made a speech in which he estimated the tract of 2500 ecres offered to be worth $1,000,000, or $40 per acre. Mr. Delmas, who fol- lowed Professor Dudley of Stanford Uni- versity, 2 member of the commission, had also taken occasion to make several flings at the commission, alleging that the com- missioners are or have been negligent and dilatory. Then, after some other proceed- ings near the close of the convention, Attorney Ross arose and woke the echoes of the quiet church by a defense of the commission and some ringing statements concerning the values of timber lands in one believe,” shouted Ross, s seemingly strongly moved by the ons concerning the commission, mmissioner A. W. Foster or Mr. other member of the hon- ge ( select in the fon is recreant to his Ross answered this question enumerating the members of the com- mission, w £or Du o are Governor Gage, Profes- y of Stanford University, A. W. Foster, the Rev. Father Kefina of Santa Clare ege and W. H. Mills. No one responding Mr. Ross addressed himself to the question of the real values of the lands in the Big Basin. Value of the Acres. “Does any one believe,” asked the at- torney—and his indignation was seem- ingly greater than before—“that the lands in the Big Basin are worth $400 per acre? Does any one believe that the owners of those lands are going to give away to the State $300 per acre on their holdings? Don't we remember that when the pro- ject of "the Big Basin Park was new it was proposed to look into the books of the Assessors to see what the Igpds in the Big Basin were assessed at? We feund that the Big Basin lands in San Mateo County were assessed at from $6 to $7 per acre. “Does any one suppose that the State Commissioners would pay $100 per acre for the Big Basin lands? Why, to say the worth is $400 per acre is appealing to credulity and not to judgment.” Mr. Ross did not offer any resolution. The fact is that Mr. Ross at the early stage of the history of the campaign for the park suggested that in both San Ma- teo and Santa Cruz counties each section of land in the Big Basin should be map- ped and that the records of the Assessors should be consulted to see what each sec- tion was assessed at, but this suggestion was seemingly never adopted. The convention of to-day filled the First Unitarian Church to its limit notwith- standing the rain. A brass band played in front of the church just before the opening. Within the scene was made somewhat sylvan In its character by the placing of fresh green boughs and a pic- ture.of the big trees in the Big Basin, so that the effect was pleasing. J. H. Campbell of San Jose was selected for temporary chairman and made a speech in which he urged that the big trees should be preserved, but he made no at- tack upon the commission. Demand for Preservation. J. O. Hayes was the permanent chair- man. He urged that the commission should act at once, saying: “The peopie demand that the law which provides for the purchase of these trees shall be carried out In letter and spirit. This audience and the orators who are to address you are but a slight manifesta- tion of a demand which is well nigh uni- versal and an earnest of the interest that will be felt in the care and preservation of the redwoods and in extending the boundaries of the park untll it shall com- prise all of the Big Basin that is worthy of being preserved.” ‘W. W. Richards of San Francisco was elected secretary. Then A. P. Hill moved the appointment of a committee of five on resolutions, and the committee was made to consist of A. P. Hill, Durican McPherson of Santa Cruz, W. D. J. Hambly, John E. Richards and the Rev. Mr. Williams of Saratoga. This commit- tee brought in a preamble and resolu- tions. The preamble contained the state- ment that “the Legislature at its last session created a commission for the pur- chase of 2500 acres of this forest and the conversion of them into a public park.” The statement was also made in the preamble that the land under considera- tlon s worth an average price of $100 per acre. The trees were represented to be in immediate danger of being cut because the bond on the property lapsed thls month. Then followed resolutions call- ing upon the commission to take imme- | diate action; providing that the commis- slon should be notified of the action of the convention, and also the following; Resolved, That this convention express Its appreciation of the generosity, public spirit and high sentiment displayed by the owners of | the tracts under negotiation in refraining from cutting this timber during the past year and a half, and especially since the expiration of, the bond, and in now continuing to delay: active | operations at the sacrifice of their own finan- | cial interests, Resolution Prepared Early. An odd fact about the preamble and resolutions is that they were in an even- ing newspaper office in San Jose before the convention had assembled, and there- fore necessarily before any committee on resolutions could have been appointed by the convention. They went through with- out any discussion, although they con- tained one remarkable misstatement . which none of the attendants seemingly poticed. This was that the Legislature authorized the purchase of 2500 acres in. Santa Cruz County. The act of the Leg- islature put no limit on the acreage to | the next few days, and then the cere- mony of signing will take place. | The outlook for effecting the treaty | was rather gloomy for a few days, in lgview of the announcement made by the | Danish Government that.before it could | consent to dispose of the islands a vlebiscitum must be held to determine the attitude of the inhabitants. Secretary Hay stated that the United States could have nothing to do ‘with such procedure. ’ Drain on Danish Treasury. ~ This Gotdrament dleSired 1o acquire the | islands and was prepared to make lib- | eral terms, but it could enly negotiate with the Danish Government and not | with its subjects. The suggestion for a plebiscitum was apparently advanced to meet the views of King Christian, the aged ruler of Denmark, who dislikes to see the curtailment of his territory, and of certaln of his subjects who believed that the inhabitants should be consulted before their land was ceded to another nation. As the islands are a drain upon the Danish treasury, however, the Copen- hagen authorities recognized the neces- =ity of selling them. It is understood that a.plebiscitum will be held, but it will take place after instead of before the signing of the treaty, and the coa- vention, in order to be effective, must re- ceive the approval of a majority of the inhabitants. As the treaty must recelve the ratifica- tion of the United States Senate this Gov- ernment, it is said, can have no objection to the submission of the instrument to | the Danish islands for confirmation. Price for the Islands. The State Department declines to make public the draft of the treaty agreed upon. The price is said to be between $3,000,000 and $4,000,000. Minister Brun sought to induce Secre- tary Hay to accept provisions giving in- habitants of the islands the same status as citizens of the United States and tariff concessions. Both of these mattgrs are for Congress to determine, and the treaty will simply accord the inhabitants the same rights and priviliges as were given to Porto Ricans and Filipinos. It will contain no reference to the tariff relations, which shall be maintained. Secretary of State Seward thirty-five years ago signed a treaty with Denmark for the purchase of 8t. John and St. Thomas. He agreed to pay $7,500,000 for these two islands. The inhabitants of the islands consented to accdpt the United States as their sovereign. The Senate re- 1 | | | | | | | { tused to ratify the treaty. Denmark be- came indignant over its rejection and our friendly relations with that nation were considerably impaired. In some quarters there is a disposition to belleve that Den- mark has reserved to the inhabitants of the islands the right.to pass upon the treaty in order that she may be able to cause its rejection in case there is danger of such actlon on the part of the Senate. ANOTHER .EARTHQUAKE ALARMS CHILPANCINGO People Continue Panic Stricken and Many Are Moving to Other Mexican Towns. MEXICO CITY, Jan. 22.—Another slight earthquake shock shook Chilpancingo yes- terday afternoon and pecple ran about the streets in despair. No harm was done.’ Official data shows that 614 houses, not including the Government build¥hgs, were destroyed in the first and second earth- quakes. The people continue panic- stricken and many are leaving to estab- lish themselves in other towns. ' BULGARIANS AND TURKS MEET IN DEADLY CONFLICT CONSTANTINOPLE, Jan. 23.—The Kurds are in the fleld In Armenia and be acquired. “The commission was au- thorized by the law to seléet from that tract of land commonly known as the Big Basin, situated in Santa Cruz and San . Continued on Page Two. ] 3 sanguinary tribal conflicts have occurred in the vilayets of Bitlis and Van. Twen- ty men were killed in the Bitlis fight, and ‘both sides suffered heavily at Van. ‘Bulgarians and rke have been in con- flict in the vilayet of Kossovo. Ten Bul- garlans were killed. FORMER SECRE TARY FOSTER OPPOSES CHINESE EXCLUSION BILLS PENDING IN CONGRESS Senate Committee, However, Is Given an Object Lesson, and Testimony Shows 100,000 Celestials Are Landed on False Certificates. s 3 ASHINGTON, Jan. 23.—For- mer Secretary of State John ‘W. Foster appeared before the Senate Committee on Immigration to-day and spoke in opposition to the Chinese exclu- sion bills which have been introduced In Congress. His remarks were directed more particularly to the Mitchell or Pa- cific Coast bill, which, he said, was a plain violation of our treaty with China. Foster said our Government had four times asked China to modify existing treaties in the interest of American citizens and that in every instance China had acceded to our request. He then submitted for the consideration of the committee three prop- ositions: The first was that any law passed by the present Congress which continues the exclusion of Chinese laborers beyond 1904 would be not only without international authority, but would be in violation of | treaty stipulations. He said that during the negotiations resulting in the treaty of 1894 the United States sought to have the exclusion of Chinese laborers evtended to twenty years and that the .Chinese Government refused to make it for more | than ten years. He also insisted that when the treaty of 1894 dame to an end the Burlngame treaty of 1868 would be revived and come into force, whjch treaty stipulated for the free and unrestricted emigration of Chinese of all classes into | the United States. The treaty, he said, had only been suspended, as to immi- gration, not abrogated. Foster's Second Proposition. His second proposition was that the ex- clusion laws should not be made’ ap- plicable to all our insular possessions and sald the Hawalian Islands presented the exact state of affairs which was contem-- plated by the American negotiators for the exclusion treaty, in which they gave the assurance that to such a condition of affairs the exclusion law would not apply when all the inferests of the islands asked for Chinese immigration and the local au- thorities agreed that it would not in any way affect white labor. Foster's third proposition was that the existing exclusion laws and the legisla- tion proposed are in clear disregard of the treaty stipulations. He cited the provision of the treaty of 1834 which guaranteed to all Chinese in the United States the most favored nation treatment and the pro- wvision of treatles with other nations guar: — * * | FORMER SECRETARY OF | STATE WHO OPPOSES THE EXCLUSION OF CHINESE. & - anteeing to them the same treatment as %o the protection of their persons and property as that enjoyed by native citi- zens. Foster read from the remarks of Min- ister Wu before the Committee on For- eign Relations durigg the last session, in which he spoke of the indignities and humiliations alleged to have been suffered by some of his people at the hands of our immigration officers. General Howard Is Heard. Major General O. O. Howard said he in. dorsed all that Foster sald. He had come in contact with the Chinese on the Pacific Coast, and characterized the alleged un- due diligence of Chinese inspectors in the performance of their dutles as “among | the iniquities of the present execution of the exclusion law.” Senator McLaurin of Mississippi asked Foster If Wu's statements were not ex parte. Foster responded that the state- ments had not been contradicted by the Secretary of the Treasury or the Com- missioner of Immigration, and that those officials either did not give credence . to | them or failed to report them. Foster pro- tested against star chamber proceédings with respect to Chinese exclusion, saying they were giving no opportunity for them to go in court and be heard. Powderly spoke of the matter referred to by Foster, and said he thought it grew out of an anonymous communication. The case was, he said, investigated and found to be without a scintilla of truth. Pow- derly brought to the committee-room in custody of a United States Marshal two alleged Chinese merchants, who, he said, were samples of the “merchants” Minis- ter Wu had referred to. Through an interpreter the prisoners, Lee Sang and Chan Ling, admitted that they had entered the United States in 1897 on forged certificates alleging that they were merchants, and that they knew of the deception. Asked what disposition was to be made of them, Powderly said that they would be given a fair hearing. but that they would ultimately be de- ported. The interpreter, Charles Kee, treasury official, described the methods pursued by a Chinese company of Chicago in manu- facturing fraudulent certificates. Foster protested against what he called “this spectacular performance” without giving these two prisoners an opportunity to appear with counsel. Ccme in on False Certificates. Richard K. Campbell, a Chinese inspect- or, saild that in his opinion there were 100,000 Chinese in the United States who were admitted on false certificates. Foster contended that there were only 93,000 in the United States, but Campbell stated that the department’s information was that the Chinese population in this country was 300,000. Lee Sang and Chan Ling later in the day were arraigned before a United States Commissioner and held for a hearing on Tuesday next. Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Hamlin, representing commer- cial organizations of Boston, and S. C. Meade of the Merchants' Assoclation of New, York appeared before the House Comjmittee on Fereign Affairs to-day in opposition to the enactment of the Mitch- ell-Kahn Chinese exclusion bill. They made arguments similar to those made when they were before the Senate com- mittee on Tuesday. MINISTERS OF POWERS ATTAIN GOAL AT PEKING PEKING, Jan. 22.—The Ministers of the foreign powers here have attained the goal which has been their aim since inter- course between China and the powers be- gan. They have been received as repre- sentatives of sovereigns equal in rank to the Chinese Emperor- % The audiences yesterday between the Emperor and the Ministers were held in the innermost large hall of the Forbidden City. The Emperor sat upon a dais behind a table. There were four princes at the back of his chair and a dozen officials on each side. The Dowager Empress was concealed by a screen, according to the stories of the attendants, and remained invisible.