The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-02-17
LITERACY TEST TO.
Be RETAINED
IN BILL
SENATE COMMITTEE DETERMINES
TO REPORT BURNETT MEAS.
U1E 40 Passed HOUSE.
PRESIDENT WILSON WILL veto IT
Became Known From Authoritive
Quarter That He Disapproves BilI
Containing Provision - Does Not
Consider Literaey Test Of Character.

Washington, Feb. 17.-Tmmigration
legislation. with provision for the liter
acy test for aliens. probably Will be
enacted before the close Of the present
session of Congress-, despite consider
able opposition to enactment such re-
form pending adjustment of foreign
relations and on the eve of a congress
sional campaign.
This became apparent when Senator
Ellison d. Smith, chairman of the
Senate immigration Committee, an
nounced the determination of the COM
mittee to report to the Senate the Btr-
nett bill as it passed the House, with
some notifications, by the last of this
or the first of next week. He made
known the decision of the committee
not to eliminate from the measure the
literacy test which would bar from
entry all aliens over sixteen years of
age who cannot read the English Ian
guage or some otherf language or dia-
lect, including Hebrew or Yiddish. Ash
attic exclusion. much agitated in the
House, will not be considered by the
committee.
The decision to include the literacy
test in the Senate draft of the bill was
reached after Senator Smith had con-
ferred with President Wilson several
times on immigration. Senator Smith
has never disclosed the Presidents
attitude with reference to the literacy
test. Some members of the commit
tee have intimated that President Will
son is not in favor of this form of re-
striction. The President has made no
public statement as to his views on the
subject, having told inquiries that he
did not care to discuss the matter
while 1t was pending before the COM
mittee.
Twice Rejected.
The literacy test twice has proved
the stumbling block of immigration
legislation, once in President Taft's
administration, and, prior to that, dur
ing the incumbency of President Cleve-
land. President Taft vetoed bill on
account of literacy test prosivion,
and President Cleveland let prior
e oI, af dio of
the end of the administration by fail
ing to sign the bill, form of Execu-
tive dealing known as "the pocket
veto"
Several members of the committee
said that the literacy test would re-
main in the bill, with possibility of a
slight modification on that part of it
which would exempt from it's applica-
ton aliens to the satisfaction of the
proper authorities that they emigrated
from a foreign country solely for the
purpose of escaping religious persecu-
ton.
The committee plans to amend the
House bill by providing for an increase
in the number and efficiency of the
medical inspection force, as sugge sted
by Commissioner General Caminetti
, of IT, Bureau of immigration. 1t be
liz, .s that by strengthening the cor
do around the boundaries of the
, Uri,el States the interests of the
COT %, can be greatly safeguarded
against undesirable legislation and
that nreisn nations can find in such
legis tion 10 clause for complaint.
Senator Smith of South Carolina
Chairman of tne. Senate Committee on
Inning "a sion, conferred with Secretary
Bryan Monday on administrative fea
lures of the pending immigration
measure. 9,t
The Italian ar,bassador, in frequent
calls at the State Department has
voiced Nhe objection of his govern
ment to the feature of the bill whicf
| provides t,or me, teal Inspection aboart
! ship of eranigrantG and it is understood
that proysision wa, discussed with
( possible kyiew to its elimination
Veto Threatened.
PresiS, ont Wilson will veto the Bur
nett Aimmigration bill if it comes \
W,Coutinued on Page Four,