manifest violation of the rights guaranteed by treaty. Diplomatic
protests were instantly forthcoming at Washington; and popular
demonstrations against the United States boiled up in Tokyo. For
the third time there appeared splendid material for a serious
conflict with a great power which might conceivably lead to
active hostilities. From such beginnings wars have come before
now.

The President was convinced that the Californians were utterly
wrong in what they had done, but perfectly right in the
underlying conviction from which their action sprang. He saw that
justice and good faith demanded that the Japanese in California
be protected in their treaty rights, and that the Californians be
protected from the immigration of Japanese laborers in mass. With
characteristic promptness and vigor he set forth these two
considerations and took action to make them effective. In his
message to Congress in December he declared: "In the matter now
before me, affecting the Japanese, everything that is in my power
to do will be done and all of the forces, military and civil, of
the United States which I may lawfully employ will be so employed
. . . to enforce the rights of aliens under treaties." Here was
reassurance for the Japanese. But he also added: "The Japanese
would themselves not tolerate the intrusion into their country of
a mass of Americans who would displace Japanese in the business
of the land. The people of California are right in insisting that
the Japanese shall not come thither in mass." Here was
reassurance for the Californians.

The words were promptly followed by acts. The garrison of Federal
troops at San Francisco was reinforced and public notice was