Japan was willing to limit immigration to the United States, but was deeply violated by San Francisco`s discriminatory law specifically targeting its population. President Roosevelt, who wanted to maintain good relations with Japan to counterbalance Russian expansion in the Far East, intervened. While the U.S. ambassador reassured the Japanese government, Roosevelt summoned the mayor and school administration of San Francisco to the White House in February 1907 and convinced them to repeal the segregation order and promised that the federal government would tackle the immigration issue itself. On February 24, the gentlemen`s agreement was concluded with Japan in the form of a Japanese note in which it was agreed to deny passports to workers who wished to enter the United States and to recognize the right of the United States to exclude Japanese immigrants holding passports originally issued to other countries. This was followed by the formal withdrawal of the order of the San Francisco School Board on March 13, 1907. A final Japanese note of 18 February 1908 made the gentlemen`s agreement fully effective. The agreement was replaced by the 1924 law excluding immigration. .

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