The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-02-02
IMMIGRATION
BILL PUSHED
ALI Other Business in Congress
Has Been Sidetarcked
for This Meas
ure.
MANY CLASSES BARRED
Literacy Test Seems to be the Sticking
Point in the Proposed
Rule for New
Corners.

Rule for New
Comers.
lUnited Press Leased Wire Service.1
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-Passage
by a two to one vote of the immigra
tion BILL including the literacy test,
before the house adjourned tonight
was predicted by Chairman Burnett,
its author All other business is side
tracked in favor Of the measure.
The fire centered first today upon
the literacy test Injection of the
yellow peril" was threatened by Pa
cific coast members. Representatives
Hays and Curry hoped to bring the
Japanese exclusion question squarely
before the house by offering amend
ments providing for exclusion Of all
Asiatic laborers
Declaring he was not opposed to the
literacy test Of the pending bill, Sec
retary of Labor Wilson today sent to
the house recommendations for max
ing it more drastic, particularly
against white slavers.
The secretary proposed that the law
include exclusion of procurers, male
or female, as we'll as immoral women.
He recommended that skilled contract
1aborers, as well as unskilled, be ex-
cluded. That the department be CIV
ien authority to deport persons who
have committed some crime or mis-
demeanor involving moral turpitude,
sven though not convicted, was. also
requested. Permission to exclude
aliens who commit crimes here was
also asked.
That immigration last year caused
a net increase in population Of 1.107,-
900 as compared with 646,742 in 1912,
was reported by Wilson. immigration
from Asia amounted to only one per
cent Of the whole. The increase of
immigrants during the last six months
OF 1918 was about 100 per cent more
than during the same period of 1912.
Wilson stated. He said 26 per cent
jof the immigrants were illiterate.
Presidents Opinions.
rBy John E. Nevin, staff correspon,
dent of the United Press.l
WASHINGTON, Feb. president
Wilson believes that assisted immi-
grafton should be prohibited by law
That is as far as he is ready to go
at the present time In discussing the
immigration problem. He told callers
today that he had not considered the
literacy test which has b9en included
in the pending immigration bin He
said that he would form no op nion
until he has had time for complete
consultation with the Aaders of the
party in congress. The president has
been deluged with callers and petit
tons recently in opposition to the lit
eracy test He has decided, however,
not to take a positive stand either
way until he can carefully investigate
every phase OF the situation.
The president admitted to some OF
his callers today that he was sur,
prised at the apparent lack of inter,
est in the public hearings on the sug,
gested antitrust legislation. Ie said
that it might be that business men of
the country were satisfied with the
program as outlined and Le,ieve
they would be treated fairly by con
gress. The president did not believe
that business men We're afraid to
come here to discuss the bills be
cause it might be charger that they
were lobbying either for Or against
them.
The president let 1T be known to.
/ day that this country is negotiating
with eleven nations all OF which have
expressed interest in Secretary o:
State Bryan's investigation pro.
posal." He and Bryan hope that
treaties embodying this suggestion,
which provides for an attempt at arhi
tration OF every question that might
arise between this government and
any other before war is rasorted to-
will shortly result
Because of the iusistence of ce tain
senatorial candidates In the ma
west that they had snppcrt o. the
administration, tn : president took a
positive position today. He Id call
ers that under no circumstances
| would the administrator line up eth
er for or against any governmen,
elective Office that would nscessitate
participation in primary fight.
The president is giving his person
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