Johnson Signs, Challenging.

New York Times 100 years ago today, May 20, 1913:
Threefold Opposition to Law — Referendum Seems Likely.
    SACRAMENTO, May 19.— Gov. Johnson signed the Alien Land bill to-day, and in a brief statement, which he gave out immediately afterward, took cognizance of the three-fold opposition which has already started in the State against the bill. His statement was as follows:

    I repeat what I have before said: That California, for the first time in its history, has an anti-alien, law.
    Any man who wishes another kind of law may consistently invoke the initiative.
    No man who really wishes an anti-alien law will sign a referendum as to this law.
    If another law is sought, it may be presented by means of the initiative, and in the meantime the present law will be in operation. To tie up the present law means no law until November, 1914.

    Theodore Bell, recently Democratic candidate for Governor, and formerly Chairman of the State Central Committee, has issued an invitation to his party to submit the issue to the people by invoking the referendum against the law. He grounds his opposition on two contentions: First, that the bill is not sufficiently drastic, because it permits leases running three years, and, second, that at the present time it embarrasses the National Administration.
    The Asiatic Exclusion League, the President of which is Olaf Tveitmoe, recently convicted of complicity in the dynamite plot originating in Indianapolis, has just announced that it will invoke the referendum purely because it regarded the bill as faint hearted.
    A third factor of the opposition to the measure is the Panama-Pacific International Exposition Company, backed by many Chambers of Commerce. The exposition Directors have expressed opposition to the bill on the ground that it is a violation of faith.
    "Any action of the Legislature," they said, "offensive to any foreign country, to their pride as a people, or their honor as a nation, must challenge the good faith of the Commonwealth."
    While the Governor was signing the bill, which, without the intervention of a referendum petition, will go into effect on Aug. 10, the steamship Korea was passing through the Golden Gate bearing two distinguished Japanese, one a former pupil of President Wilson, on a mission of investigation here. These are Soruku Ebara of the Constitutional Party, a member of the House of Peers, and Ayao Hattori, of the Nationalist Party, a member of the lower house and formerly a student at Princeton.