William Jennings Bryan to Hiram Warren Johnson

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SEND the following NIGHT LETTER subject to the terms on back hereof which are hereby agreed to Gov. Hiram Johnson, Sacramento, California.
The President directs me to say that while he fully recognizes the right of the people of California to legislate according to their judgment on the subject of land tenure he feels it his duty to urge a recognition of the international character of such legislation. Being anxious to preserve and strengthen the long standing friendly relation existing between this country and the nations of the Orient he very respectfully but most earnestly advises against the use of the words “ineligible to citizenship”. He asks that you bring this view to the attention of the legislators. He believes the Senate bill as telegraphed to the Department of State is greatly to be preferred. That bill limited ownership to citizens and to those who had declared their intention to become citizens.