711.94/427

The Japanese Embassy to the Department of State11

In connection with a report that the Department of Labor made a new ruling (communicated to the immigration authorities in Hawaii under date of April 22, 1922), to the effect that the so-called “picture marriage” is illegal in the light of the Immigration Laws of the United States and that thus Japanese “picture brides” coming to Hawaii shall not be exempted from the illiteracy test, information on the following points is desired:

1.
Circumstances under which the new ruling has been established.
2.
Is the new ruling applicable without distinction to picture brides and to women married under a similar system, coming from all foreign countries?

  1. Left at the Department, May 27, 1922, by the Japanese Chargé d’Affaires.