The Washington herald., 1912-01-12
NUMEROUS EDITORS
MEET PRESIDENT
Executive Gives His Views on I'm.
migration to Visitors-Lunch-
con with Newspaper Men.

The members Of the board Of directors
of the American Association Of For
elgn Language Newspapers called upon
President Taft yesterday to protest
against any further change in the immi-
grafton laws tending TO exclude desirable
immigrants. The members of the board
were received by the President in the
East Room of the White House.
They were introduced to Mr.. Taft by
Louis n. Hammerling. of New York,
president OF the association. The mem
bers Of the board expressed TO the Presi-
dent the hope that he will be renominat-
ed and reelected, and they pledged him
the support OF their respective news
papers. The delegates also called upon
Secretary Of Commerce and Labor Nagel.
Taft Wants Good Immigrants.
with respect TO immigration" Mr..
Taft said, ''of course. we have TO exer-
else care. However, We have a big
country: We have a country that offers,
or ought to offer. equal opportunities to
everybody who will come here and be
law-abiding citizens. and u am not dis
posed to be selfish about 1t at all
We need a great deal of labor. We
are beginning to feel a pinch in the pro-
ductiOn of food. We don't have enough,
or at least We could dispose of a great
deal more. We need an agricultural pop
uIation, and what ought to be done is
Ia turn immigration that comes into the
country into the agricultural parts.
While, Of course, I shall do everything
can to prevent the coming into this coun-
try of any undesirable population. on the
other hand I am willing TO favor the
coming in Of the sturdy. peaceful, law
abiding immigrants who think this coun-
try offers a wider sphere of usefulness
20 them, and l would put no obstacle in
the way of their coming"
Give Luncheon mt willard.
Earlier in the day the members met at
a luncheon in the New Willard, where
they were greeted by Washington news
paper men, Congressman, department
chiefs, and others, all OF whom declared
themselves deeply interested both in the
movement to allow the foreign press
those rights accorded newspapers print
ed in English and TO allaw all desirable
immigrants free entry into the United
States.
Theodore Weed. general director Of the
POSTAL savings banks, spoke of the CO.
operation between that executive branch
- the government and the foreign news
papers. He commented upon the splen-
did qualities of citizenship possessed by
many of the immigrants 10 this country.
Representative Sabath. of Illinois. and
Representative Goldfogle. of New York,
also indorsed heartily the movement of
the publishers I'm favor Of immigrants.
Honest labor should be welcome into this
country. they said. and the immigration
laws should never go beyond the restric-
tim of those who are mentally, morally,
or physically undesirable.
De-
ana J. Lynn Yeagle. Of The Washington
Herald. welcomed the publishers 10 this
CITY. They spoke of the value Of papers
printed in alien languages, saying that
before the immigrant had learned English
he could grasp. through his own Ian
gusge, the ideals and standards OF the
new country
Appear Before Committee.
Mr.. HammerIing ana the directors Of
the association appeared before the Sen
ate Committee on Immigration in the
morning TO protest against any new laws
which would prohibit desirable and
worthy immigrants from entering this
country, or which would place a burden
financially or otherwise on any Of the
incoUinE immigrants. as they are not
able to stand any additional burdens
In the course OF his remarks before the
committee Mr.. IIammerling read a state
mcnt showing that % per cent Of the
miners working in the anthracite coal
fields. numbering 170O1o. are foreign
language speaking people. and he claim
ed the same percentage approximately is
working in the steel and iron industries
in the bituminOuS mines. in building
and keeping in repair the railroads
throughout the country and that a large
percentage own and work the farms
throughout the United States. over l0O.-
GOO Bohemian farmers he said. arc re-
siding in the State of Nebraska alone
Estimating the cost TO rear a child to
productive maturity at S1,OO0. he said
this country had gained $4,000 0O0.O .OOO in
human production from the foreign
Language speaking people who had come
here, and he earnestly expressed the
hope that no laws injurious to them
would be considered.
EIncL- IN