Is there room in the bed for both?

President Roosevelt holds a book of “Jungle Stories” and watches two boys–“Japanese” and “Californians”–stick out their tongues at one another while sitting in a “California Legislature” bed with “anti-Japanese legislation” covers. Roosevelt says, “Stop it, I say, stop it!”

comments and context

Comments and Context

At the end of President Roosevelt’s administration, anti-Japanese sentiment, never completely quieted, flared up in California. Two years earlier Roosevelt exerted enormous pressure and much time — diplomacy with the offended Japanese government and cajoling of California officials — to address the problems. Some Americans resented the pressure on jobs and the economy caused by Japanese labor; and nativist prejudice was involved as well. In some districts Japanese children were forbidden to enroll in public schools. In Japan there arose riots and protests against American residents.

The resolute Democratic cartoonist Edward Joseph McBride seems almost sympathetic to Roosevelt, but he intimates that the president does not appreciate being distracted from his reading — plans for his upcoming safari.

In fact Roosevelt was motivated by yet two more concerns over the California situation. He was bothered by the injustice of the immigrants’ treatment; and he did not want Japan to harbor resentment against the United States. As a rising power it needed to be in good graces with America, Roosevelt believed, and to assuage their offended honor, he made sure that elaborate expressions of friendship were shown the Japanese when the Great White Fleet made a port call.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-01-23

Creator(s)

McBride, Edward Joseph, 1889-

Language

English

Period

U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)

Repository

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Page Count

1

Production Method

Printed

Record Type

Image

Resource Type

Cartoon

Rights

These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.

Citation