New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-01
MR.. TAFT TO EDITORS.
Talks to american Association
of Foreign Newspapers.
from The Tribune Bureau. !


Washington Feb. 2S.-"I visited the East
side in New York about two years ago. and
I was exceedingly impressed with the fac'
that all that Jewish population there had
recognized the opportunity that this coun-
try offered to them, and that the young
men and women who had attended the pub
lie schools and who had settled in that part
of New York had appreciated to- the full
the benefits that this country conferred
and that there was no part of the country
in which the real, true spirit of patriotism
prevailed more deeply than there"
The President said this to the representa-
ties of three hundred and fifty foreign
newspapers published in the United States
who called at the White House to protest
against the proposed immigration legisla-
ton now pending in Congress Objection
was made to the Hayes and Overman bills
L. NJ Hammering. president of the Amer
lean Association of Foreign Newspapers,
who spoke for the delegation, objected TO
the provisions of these two bills providing
for an educational test, an increase Of the
head tax and exclusion of all males over
sixteen years of age who do not possess $50.
Mr. Hammering said that the foreign ed
itors did not object to the exclusion OF
morally and physically undesirable immi-
grants, but seriously objected to keeping
out of the United States any desirable per-
sons The editor called the President S
attention to the fact that 60 per cent of the
farmers owning farms and working as farm
Iaborers came from Europe during the last
thirty years that about So per cent of the
$4,000 miners mining the coal to operate
the great industries came from abroad.
that So per cent Of the $4,000 steel and iron
workers in the United States are iEnmi-
grants, and that 50 per cent Of the labor
employed for the last thirty years in con-
structing and repairing the railways of this
country came from Europe
At the conclusion of Mr. Hammering S
plea in behalf of the immigrants President
Taft made an address. He said he was not
acquainted with the details of the bills to
which his callers objected, and promised
upon the receipt of the bills from Congress
that he would send for them, and would
again listen to whatever objections they
wished to make before attaching his sigma
ture. 1T is possible that / shall differ
with you" said the President, but think
that where a hearing is given safer con-
clusion is likely to be reached
In going about this country thirteen
thousand miles as / did last year., con-
tinued Mr.. Taft, the thing which I'M
pressed ne more than anything else was
the fact that the process through which we
had gone. of welcoming immigrants from
everywhere and mixing them and ANAL
gamating them with our population, had
produced distinct type of American. as
distinguished from any of the people OF
which that type was made up, and that
therefore, were we to impose unjust bur
dens and stop immigration we should 60
back on that which up to this time had
ena bIed us to be a great people"
The Secretary of Commerce and Labor
was a member of the conference.