Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-04-08
Root On
immigration
SECRETARY OF STATE SAYS EU.
R0PEANS ARE NOT OF SU.
PERI0R CLASS

"Die Zeit," a daily newspaper of vi.
emma, contains In its number Of
March list, received in New York to.
day, remarkable interview by its
Washington correspondent with Sec.
rotary Root. The Secretary of State
went over the whole immigration
question and in the course of his re.
marks likened the influx of part OF
the aliens now pouring into the Unit.
ed States-Bohemian Jews, Rouma.
mans, Poles and others-to the in.
vasion 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 bar.
barians, who overran 1t In search OF
riches.
overrunnlns United States
THE arbarians-Sarmates. Daci.
ans, Avarins, etc.,-were miserably
poor and the rich countries of the
Roman empire with their high cul
ture, irresistibly attracted them.
THE same peoples-I mean from
the same country that sent barbara
ans Observation-Disclosures, Bohemi
ans, Slovaks. Roumanians, PoleF
Ruthnians, Jews and uncultured
South Italians-are overrunning the
United States. And, as In the older
days, they bring their wives and chill
dren, settle down In our midst, push
ing and crowding us and begin III,
anew as II they were In conquered
country.
"The Correspondent - But the
United States couldn't exist without
immigration.
No Longer Asslniiate
Secretary Root-Agreed: but cir
cumstances absolutely require thai
immigrants assimilate with our ma
ton. This assimilation was quicl
and easy as long as the immigrant
intellect and education were equal L
our own-that Is. during the perio,
when the great mass OF future citi
zens landing at our shores were Irish
German, French, Scotch or Scandina
VANS. They came in goodly number,
and were welcome, but never reache,
Irresent.day 1gures-a million or NOR,
per annum: and Of this million, $50
900 are East Europeans, people whom
Europe itself regards AZ only hall
civilized.
Americans did not object whe
those East Europeans came In smaI
lunches. While small In number
they were obliged to educate up
the country's average state Of civil
cation. They assimilated becaus
they were constantly dealing wit
Americans, having no countrymen {
their own to fall back on.
Japanese Come as looters
But nowadays they come In reg
ments and army corps and follow eac
J other so closely that their assimili
tion becomes impossible. A look int
the Jewish quarter on the East Sid
OF New York or into Chlcago's Polls
quarter, will explain.
II was thinking particularly Of tn
Japanese when I likened present.da
immigration conditions in America
those In the Roman Empire at ce
tain period. The japanese immigrI
ton in the United States Is like tn
invasion OF a foreign race ready
decamp after securing the covet'
loot.
Its the same with respect to ce
tain grade OF Italians-the uncivilize
, southern Italians In particular. b,
Italy, even less than Japan, will NJ
: allow us to dictate whether or not h,
subjects come here. And while It
clearly impossible from the stan
point OF international politics to pr
vent immigration altogether. such
measure would not meet with the a
proval OF the American people eithe
Americans insist that this Is q
the country OF liberty. Offering
asylum to every honest man.
1.-THE correspondent-In your OPP
ion, Mr.. Root, do you think that I
emigration question will become
: matter OF politics sooner or later?
Secretary Root only know tn
II Is discussed In public with occ
sional interest and that It Is a fact
to be reckoned with in our relation
with all foreign countries. But as
said before, 1t is a natural phenon
] non. Or, perhaps, should say
economic one. When America Is rit
Immigration increases; In times
business depression It falls on. 81
saving like the rate OF interest.
p 1.-The Correspondent-The simple
, solution OF the emigration probe
then would be to allow the Unit
States to fall into poverty.
n Secretary Root laughed and end
the interview"