ANTIJAP LEGISLATION MEETS SHARP PROTEST

Discrimination at This Time Particularly Surprising, Declares Consul-General Stationed at San Francisco.

CONTENTION SUPPORTED BY FACTS AND FIGURES

Representatives of Mikado in California Refutes Claim That Subjects Seek Extended Proprietorship in Lands.

SACRAMENTO, Cal., Thursday, Jan. 12. -- Japan's first official protest against proposed anti-Japanese legislation in the state came in the form of a letter from Consul-General Matsuzo Nagai at San Francisco, to Senator Leroy Wright, chairman of the Senate committee on federal relations.

"I think people of this state hardly realize the deep concern felt in Japan on this subject," says the consul-general.

"Discrimination at this time would be particularly surprising to the Japanese people in view of the efforts which have been made during the past two years to cultivate the good will of the American people and to prove to them the sincerity of Japanese good will."

The letter contains figures supporting the consul's contention that the Japanese population on the Pacific Coast is steadily decreasing. According to these statistics, the number leaving Japan for America has diminished each year and the number arriving in Japan from America has increased each year since 1908.

Not Looking for Lands.

"Then tendency of the laboring classes to return to Japan is not diminishing," adds Consul Nagai. "We are not looking for extended proprietorships in lands in this state, and, if such possession were our only aim, it might be abandoned with good grace and little feeling. Our objections to the bills introduced are based on their discriminative features. They could not be explained to the Japanese people as being otherwise than unfriendly and offensive to national pride."

The writer gives a reminder that Japan has voluntarily enforced "regulations which practically amount to an exclusion act applied to Japanese laborers," and has shown her friendliness by sending warships to participate in Californian festivals and by other courtesies.

Consul Expresses Fear.

The letter concludes with a reference to pending negotiations for the revision of treaties between the United States and Japan.

"I feel constrained," says the consul, "to express the fear that such negotiations may be affected by passage of measures by the California Legislature which are of a discriminating character."

The Japanese issue is believed to have been responsible for a change made yesterday in the personnel of the Senate committee on federal relations. Senator D.J. Beben, of San Francisco ws removed from the committee and was replaced by Senator C.W. Bell, of Pasadena, Senator Beban is the successor of Marc Anthony, who introduced the contentious anti-Japanese measures in the Senate two years ago.