The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-01-03

/ will be something substantial in
training and equipment from which
the volunteer sea and land forces can
get proper guidance and quickly be
/ transformed into effective fighting
units
Big Service for Humanity.
/ In recent years. as the new admin
/ istration is pointing out In connection
with its army and navy program. the
! militant organizations have performed
services for humanity in no way con
nected with campaigns against human
foes. Secretary Garrison has said:
We have record OF efficiency in
the discharge of a great variety of
duties as shown in the establishment
and conduct OF the military govern
ments OF Cuba. Porto Rico and the
hilippines-governm whose es-
/ tablishment and maintenance were
accompanied. among other things, BY
/ great sanitary reforms. notably In
| Cuba, where the work resulted In the
discovery OF the causes and methods
OF handling yellow fever. and also in
the removal of this tropical scourge
| from Cuba, and thereby rendering Its
| elimination from the southern United
| States possible"
The doctors OF the army and navy
constantly are at work trying to solve
disease problems. Col William G..
Gorgas of the army. who by his sani-
tary work made the Panama canal
possible. Is now on leave of alb
sence granted by the war department
so that he may help the mine owners
OF South Africa to stamp out the dis
ease which kills hundreds OF their en-
ployes every year. Some of the ply
sicians of the naval service and not
ably some OF the physicians Of the
marine hospital service. are now sta
| toned In various parts of the world
studying bubonic plague problems and
other problems to which the definite
| sanitary answer has not yet been
found. The officers of the twin serv-
! ice say that their work in the main
is much more one of saving than It
is of killing.
Literary Test for Aliens.
President Wilson in his address
to congress at the opening of the
regular session had nothing to
say about the passage Of law
to restrict immigration by the
means OF the insertion OF The educa-
tional clause in the statutes. II Is
now known definitely, however, that a
majority OF members In the house and
senate is in favor of the insertion in
the law of clause which shall pre-
vent the landing in America of lmmi-
grants who can neither read nor write.
Last year bill was passed with the
| educational provision included. but
President Taft interviewed with his
veto, and while the senate voted 10
pass it over his veto, the house de-
clined by a small majority.
The question has come up again, and
just now 1t is a sharp one in both
house and senate. The forces Of the
advocates and of the opposition al.
ready are aligned. Hearings are be-
ing held and it is likely that an immi-
grafton bill similar to the one passed
last year will go through both house
and senate. and be presented to the
president for his signature some time
before the early summer. The general
belief in Washington Is that President
Wilson will sign the bill.
Before the committee OF congress
there have appeared representatives
of the Jews. who come from Russia.
| representatives of the Poles, Hungari-
| ans. Bohemians, Itali. MS and other
races which form large part OF the
immigration tide.
Arguments Of Opponents.
The advocates of the admission OF
the Russian Jews, many Of whom
would be kept away If the illiteracy
test were imposed. have told congress
that many OF the Jews who come
from Russia are fleeing from persecu-
ton. and that TO keep them out would
be cruelty and possibly would sub
NIT them to the penalty Of death.
A prominent Polish American. N. l..
Piotrowski. who is the city attorney
OF Chicago, in speaking before the i'm
migration committee of the house ar
gued that the Poles had been robbed
vi lLeiI O"H COuubI1 anu tuelT OWn
independence and having been down.
,rodden and prosecuted. their only ref
uge from oppression is this country.
He said that Poland gave two OF
her noblest and most valiant sons to
this country in her struggle for indie
pendence, KosciuscO and Pulaski. He
said, also that if the literacy clause
were included in the immigration bill
many of the liberty seeking Poles
would be denied a chance to reach a
land where their ideals can be real
ized.
On the other hand, the committees
of congress have been told that the
criminal classes largely are recruited
from the illiterates who come to this
country and who do not seem TO care
to take advantage of the benefits OF
its Institutions. This is combated by
some OF the Witnesses before the COM
mittee who have brought statistics to
show that native borp Americans form
as large a part OF the criminal class.
with due regard TO numbers, compare
tive. as do the illiterate foreigners. I
The committees have a problem TO
solve. but il seems likely that they
will solve II in favor Of & plan further
to restrict immigration.
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