The White House, October, 1906.
Root—Mr. President, the Japanese Minister complains that the children of his countrymen in California are denied admittance to the public schools.
President—That will be bad for their education.
Root—He regards this as an unfriendly discrimination.
Pres.—I should suppose that would be a painful conviction.
Root—He says his countrymen in Japan are greatly excited about it.
Pres.—What a jabbering they must make.
Root—He is making a good deal of noise himself.
Pres.—Dare say. Let’s ask Metcalf about it; he’s from California. [Taps the bell nine times—enter Secretary Metcalf.] Mr. Secretary, how about the exclusion of Japs from the Californian public schools, poor little things!
Metcalf—There are separate schools for them. The average age of the poor little things is about thirty years.