The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-03-25
ROOT FEARS THE
SNARMS OF ALIENS
SOME REMARKABLE STATEMENT
IN AN INTERVIEW GIVEN BY
AMERICAN STATESMEN

NEW YORK, March 14.-"Die Zeit |
a daily newspaper of Vienna contains |
in its number of March 1st received |
in New York today, a remarkable in !
terview by its Washington correspond |
ent with Secretary Root. The SeCre- |
tary of State went over the whole i'm !
migration question and in the course
of his remarks likened the influx of !
part of the aliens now pouring into |
the United States-Bohemians Jews, |
Roumanians, Poles and others-to !
"the invasion of barbarians into the
Roman empire"
At the conclusion Of the interview,
the Secretary confessed that he had
no remedy to suggest. The interview
is as follows:
Secretary Root-With regard to
/ the immigration problem, the United
States is now in the position of the
Roman empire invaded by the barbar-
ians, who overran it in search of rich
es.
OVERRUNNING UNITED STATES.
The arbarians-Sarmates, Dacians,
Avarins, etc.-were miserably poor
and the rich countries Of the Roman
empire with their high culture, ire
sistibly attracted them.
The same peoples-I mean from
the same country that sent barbarians
omeward--Creotians Bohemians, Slo-
walks, Roumanians, Poles, Ruthnians,
Jews and umcultured South Italians
are overrunning the United States.
And, as in the olden days they bring
their wives and children, settle down
in our midst, pushing and crowding
us and begin life anew as if they
were in a conquered country.
THE Correspondent-But the United
States couldn't exist without immigra-
ton.
NO LONGER ASSIMILATE.
Secretary Root-Agreed; but circum-
stances absolutely require that immi-
grants assimilate with our nation
This assimilation was quick and easy
as long as the immigrants intellect
and education were equal to our own
/, that is, during the period when the
great mass of future citizens landing
at our shores were Irish, German,
, French, Scotch or Scandinavians. They
!, came in goodly numbers and were well
come, but never reached present day
figures-a million or more per annum;
and of this million, 100000 are East
Europeans, people whom Europe itself
5 regards as only half civilized.
Americans did not object when
those East Europeans came in small
punches. While small in number, they
were obliged to educate up to the
, countrys average state of civilization.
They assimilated because they were
= constantly dealing with Americans,
having no countrymen of their own to
l fall back on.
, JAPANESE COME AS LOOTERS.
But nowadays they come in regi-
ments and army corps and follow each
other so closely that their assimilation
becomes impossible. A look into the
Jewish quarter on the East Side OF
New York, or into Chicago's Polish
quarter will explain.
II was thinking particularly of the
Japanese when I likened present-day
: immigration conditions in America tc
/ those in the Roman Empire at GER
, tain period. The Japanese immigra-
ton in the United States is like the
r invasion of foreign race ready to de-
l. camp after securing the coveted loot.
!. MATTER OF RESTRICTION.
ITS the same with respect to GER
: tain grade Of Italians-the uncivilizec
4 southern Italians in particular. Bu'
Italy, even less than Japan, will moi
!. allow us to dictate whether or not hel
l. subjects come here. And while it Is
: clearly impossible from the standpoint
Il of international politics to prevent I'M
e migration altogether, such measure
would not meet with the approval Of
s the American people either. Ameri'
n cans insist that this is the country OF
3 liberty, offering an asylum to every
u, honest man.
u "The correspondent-In your opin'
= ion, Mr.. Root, do you think that the
emigration question will become
II matter of politics sooner or later?
/ FACTOR TO BE RECKoNED WITH
e Secretary Root only know tha
u it is discussed in public with occa
, sional interest and that it is a factol
= to be reckoned with in our relations
- with all foreign countries. But as
+ said before, it is a natural phenome
p non. Or, perhaps, | should say al
q economic one When America is rich
n immigration increases; in times o
business depression it falls off, see
e saving like the rate OF interest
c. "The Correspondent-The Nsimples
k. solution of the emigration problem
then would be to allow the Unite
e States to fall into poverty,
i. Secretary Root laughed and ende