unless our government can see their way to interpreting it favorably in respect to Italian emigrants bound to our rural districts. I said to him in reply that as far as I remembered the act of Congress in question, of which I have no copy here, but I frequently had occasion to read it when at the London embassy, I thought its terms were very precise and that no such interpretation by our government as he suggested would be possible; but that I should not fail to report to you what he had said and I felt sure in any case that the President and you would be gratified to know that this government is giving the question of turning Italian emigration from our cities to the rural districts its serious attention. I have, etc., HENRY WHITE. The Italian Ambassador to the Secretary of State. [Translation.] ROYAL EMBASSY OF ITALY, Washington, D. C., September 3, 1905. MR. SECRETARY OF STATE: By note of July 7, No. 289, your Department, in reply to two questions submitted in a promemoria appended to my note of June 21, informed me that it was the invariable rule of the Department of Commerce and Labor to decline to render decisions touching the interpretation of the immigration laws unless such questions be practically raised in cases actually occurring. It added that Mr. Metcalf was therefore sorry that replies could not be consistently made to "hypothetical questions." I fear from that answer that the Department of Commerce and Labor may have considered the questions as bearing on some specific isolated case; but they had, in the mind of the propounder, a much wider scope. In fact, they bear relation to the general question of diverting Italian immigration from the North, where it is considered "undesirable," to the South, where it is considered "desirable." The Italians coming to the North find large cities, where they find a large number of their fellow-countrymen already established and opportunities for work in various lines, public buildings, roads, railways, mining, as well as farming. On their going South hardly any other prospect would be opened to them than a country life. To this they may take in the capacity of "laborers,"" servants," or "owners." Of these the capacity of "laborers" is the least expedient for themselves and for the country that extends its hospitality to them, because it binds them to the soil by no tie of love or interest. Hence the advisability of knowing in advance and before they sell their property in Italy whether on their coming with the intent of settling in the South they will be admitted or rejected. The two cases under consideration are assuredly hypothetical, if you will, but every general rule contemplates cases that may be so styled, and the cases provided for in some of the "rules" of the "Immigration Regulations" are likewise "hypothetical" by the same reasoning. Ön the strength of these explanations the Department of Commerce and Labor will perhaps admit that the questions put in the memoran dum submitted at the proper time deserve some reconsideration in view of the great number of cases that may come under them and of the weighty consequences that their solution in either sense may involve. Accept, etc., MAYOR. The Acting Secretary of State to the Italian Ambassador. No. 302.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 18, 1905. EXCELLENCY: Referring to your note of the 3d instant in further relation to your request for answers to certain inquiries propounded by you in your note of June 21 last in regard to the admission of aliens into the United States, I have the honor to inclose for your information a copy of a letter on the subject from the Acting Secretary of Commerce and Labor. Accept, etc., F. B. LOOMIS. [Inclosure.] The Acting Secretary of Commerce and Labor to the Secretary of State. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND LABOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 12th instant, inclosing a translation of a note from the Italian ambassador in further relation to his request under cover of your letter of the 24th of June last, for an answer to certain queries propounded by him in regard to the admission of aliens. Replying categorically to the said interrogatories, the Department has to state that officers of the immigration service do admit " an immigrant or a family of immigrants which comes with the intention to settle in a determined place and to buy land there on long payment and without paying any sum on account of the price of sale," unless such immigrants are inadmissible for any of the various reasons stated in section 2 of the act of March 3, 1903. In answer to the second query the same reply may be made-namely, that the immigration officers would admit "an immigrant or a family of immigrants which comes to work land on shares, i. e., the net profit derived from the crop raised to be divided between the laborer and the owner" unless inadmissible, as above stated, or unless it appears to the inspectors at the port or ports of arrival that the coming of such aliens was induced by promises of employment given before the departure of said aliens from their own country. The Department is aware that these replies are probably not so explicit as the Italian ambassador desires, but it is impossible to make them more so. In the Department's letter of the 30th of June upon this subject it endeavored to show that such cases as those cited by the Italian ambassador were hypothetical and that therefore no positive and satisfactory reply could be made. The law imposes upon the officers at the ports primarily the duty of deciding whether an alien is admissible or not. The Department has no jurisdiction except upon appeal from the decision of such officers. The latter would, of course, be governed by the evidence presented in each particular case irrespective of any general expression of opinion upon hypothetical cases made by the Department. This explanation, it is hoped, will suffice to make it clear to the Italian ambassador that the object of the Department's letter of June 30 last was rather to show the futility of attempting a reply to the queries propounded and not indicative of any unwillingness to furnish any information which would be of practical service. Respectfully. LAWRENCE O. MURRAY, 1 No. 40.] The Acting Secretary of State to Ambassador White. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 26, 1905. SIR: Referring to your No. 55 of August 31 last on the subject of Italian immigration into the United States, and especially to the agricultural regions of this country, I have to say that a copy of your dispatch was transmitted to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, and in reply Mr. Metcalf suggests that a copy of his Department's letter of the 14th instant, answering certain inquiries of the Italian ambassador at this capital, be communicated to you. A copy is inclosed. [Printed ants] I am, etc., F. B. LOOMIS. VISIT OF THE U. S. S. MINNEAPOLIS TO GENOA. Ambassador White to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Rome, October 22, 1905. (Mr. White reports that the King and Queen of Italy will make an official visit to Genoa on the 27th or 28th instant to lay the corner stone of the new harbor. Naval squadrons have been ordered to Genoa by the French and British Governments to salute their Majesties. Suggests that Admiral Chester with the flagship Minneapolis be directed to do likewise.) The Secretary of State to Ambassador White. [Telegram.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Minneapolis ordered Genoa. Due to-morrow, 27th. The King of Italy to President Roosevelt. Telegram.-Translation. ROOT. GENOVAREGGIA, October 30, 1905. Delighted to have the visit of the beautiful vessel to which you have been pleased to confide the mission of assisting at the fêtes at Genoa. I desire to thank you cordially for this friendly manifestation of good will. VICTOR EMANUEL. President Roosevelt to the King of Italy. WHITE HOUSE, Washington, November 16, 1905. YOUR MAJESTY: I was gratified to receive your telegram of the 30th ultimo, expressive of your appreciation of the presence of the United States naval vessel Minneapolis at the Genoa fêtes. It gave me great pleasure to manifest the cordial good will which this government and people hold toward Your Majesty and the Italian people, by directing the Minneapolis to represent the United States on an occasion to which Your Majesty's presence gave national interest and importance. Your good friend, THEODORE ROOSEVELT. CONTROL OF THE CUSTOMS REVENUES OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC BY THE UNITED STATES. [NOTE. See under Dominican Republic, page 298.] No. 32.] JAPAN. JAPANESE TEA SUBSIDY. Minister Griscom to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN LEGATION, SIR: * * * The legation has investigated the complaint made by American firms exporting Japanese teas that the government tea subsidy was, in effect, a bounty to native dealers and therefore a discrimination against foreigners. While no positive proof has been obtainable, yet the facts appear to bear out, in general, the complaint of the Americans interested. The department of agriculture and commerce turns over for expenditures the subsidy to the Tea Traders' Guild, an exclusively Japanese organization including all the native competitors of the foreign firms, and this fact in itself warrants a strong presumption that the advantages of the subsidy are not shared by the foreign firms. By way of taking up the matter with the Japanese Government I handed in a memorandum on October 27, touching upon the objections made to the manner of expenditure of the subsidy and requesting the government's assistance in furnishing some detailed information on the subject. I am now in receipt of a memorandum from the department of foreign affairs, which, however, fails to throw any light on the subject. I have the honor to inclose copies of these memoranda. It will be noted that the statement is made that the appropriation for this subsidy ceases at the end of this fiscal year. It should, however, be remarked that no assurance is given that the proposition will not be renewed in the next Diet as a government measure and a new appropriation made. * * * I have, etc., LLOYD GRISCOM. [Inclosure 1.] Minister Griscom to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. MEMORANDUM. AMERICAN LEGATION, Tokyo, October 27, 1903. The Government of the United States has directed its legation in Tokyo to investigate certain statements made by American citizens engaged in tea trade with Japan in relation to the manner in which is expended the appropriation made by the Imperial Government for the promotion of the export of manufactured teas. In the statements in question is contained the allegation that the money so appropriated, instead of being expended by responsible officials of the Imperial Government and publicly accounted for, is turned over to an exclusively Japanese organization of interested parties, |