because they
accept wages much below the minimum for which our people are willing to
work. Neither do they blend well with our people. Hence we do not want
them to marry our women. Those are my reasons. We mean no offense. Our
restrictive legislation is not aimed specially at the Japanese. British
subjects in India are affected by it in exactly the same way. It is
impossible that we should formulate any modifications of your amendment,
because there is no modification conceivable that would satisfy us
both."

The Japanese delegates were understood to say that they would maintain
their motion, and that unless it passed they would not sign the
document. Mr. Hughes retorted that if it should pass he would refuse to
sign. Finally the Australian Premier asked Baron Makino whether he would
be satisfied with the following qualifying proviso: "This affirmation of
the principle of equality is not to be applied to immigration or
nationalization." Baron Makino and Viscount Chinda both answered in the
negative and withdrew.

The final act[360] is described by eye-witnesses as follows. Congruously
with the order of the day, President Wilson having moved that the city
of Geneva be selected as the capital of the future League, obtained a
majority, whereupon he announced that the motion had passed.

Then came the burning question of the equality of nations.[361] The
Polish delegate arose and opposed it on the formal ground that nothing
ought to be inserted in the preamble which was not dealt with also in
the body of the Covenant, as otherwise it would be no more than an
isolated theory devoid of organic connection with the whole. The
Japanese delegates delivered speeches of cogent argument and impressive
debating power. Baron Makino made out a very strong case for the
equality of nations. Viscount Chinda followed in a trenchant discourse,
which was highly appreciated by his hearers, nearly all of whom
recognized the justice of the Japanese claim. The Japanese delegates
refused to be dazzled by the circumstances that Japan was to be
represented on the Executive Council as one of the five Great Powers,
and that the rejection of the proposed amendment could not therefore be
construed as a diminution of her prestige. This consideration, they
retorted, was wholly irrelevant to the question whether or no the
nations were to be recognized as equal. They ended by refusing to
withdraw their modified amendment and calling for a vote. The resu