The Washington times., 1915-01-22
TO WILSON
ON L|TERACY TEST
President Listens for Three
Hours to Discussion on Pro-
+. posed Immigration Bin.

Branding the Mteracy test In tho
smith-Burnett immigration bill as =
discrimination against labor in favor
Of loquacity. against the calloused
hand in favor Of the facile tongue. w.
Bourke Cochran. former member or
Congress from Now York. closed a
vigorous program Of protests filed to-
day with President Wilson In the
East Room Of the White House
against his signing the immigration
measure.
At the outset Of the hearing the
President felt called upon to call
down Mr.. Patten. for insinuating
that the opposition to the bill was
inspired by steamship lines which
make money out Of the IMMIGRANT
trafni; a ,S,n. ,o,.,.u.n - r.. ,.,, "t,,,
We had better dispense with all refer
ences to motives"
Mr.. Patten apologised.
In spite Of this warning Of the Presi-
dent. Frank Morrison. secretary Of the
American Federation OF Labor. charged
that the opponents of the bill we're d.
rectly favorins the United States Steel
Corporation. the big packins houses:
and the steamship lines. He declared
that the main desire Of the United
States steel Corporation and other large
corporations was to employ two men
for every one Job and to get Zach of
these at starvation wages.
Charles Edward Russell. magazine
writer, of this city. protested on behalf
Of the Socialist party that the literacy
test is unsound, unscienifc. and diff
c,:t to enforce. He said. moreover.
destroy the right Of political asylum
guaranteed by the trainers of the Gov
ernment.
Prof. H. p. Fairchild, OF Yale, de-
clared In support Of the test that every
program Of conservation must be &C
complished by restrictions. and that tn
conservation Of the brain power Of th'
United States demanded restrictions
against contamination from improper
immigration.
Both by the advocates and the op
ponents Of the bill frequent reference
| way made to the effect which the Eu
ropean war will have on immigration
BY the proponents Of the measure |
was argued the war would he followed
| bv the dumping Of the most undesirab bl,
persons OF the war-torn countries int
the United states. Opponents or tn
| measure. on the contrary. stoutly main
tanned that the history Of the United
States vindicaed their belief that th'
| best Immigration was that which fol
lowed foreign wars
Representative of Hebrews.
III my father" declared Samuel II
Vorofski. of Boston, representing He
! brew organizations Of that city. "shoul
be killed in this war, and have a siste
over there who has never had tn
opportunities Of education, but Is de
pendent and destitute. this literacy tes
would forbid me to bring her over her
| to my home, however wealthy l ma!
be and able to take care of her."
Tammany Hall, represented by Rober
f.. Wagner. addressed to she fp,siden
the argument that whereas per cen
! OF the population Of New York city va
| foreign born or made UP OF the son
and daughters of foreign born immi
grants the illiteracy rate OF that cit
WAS lower today than ever before In 1t
history.
And then the Tammany speaker. a
did later Mr.. Cochran. congratulate
the President on what he was doing t
hold out the light Of hope to the cit,
zens Of foreign countries, while pre-
serving against all criticisms that hav
been heaped upon him. the strict neu
trality which this country Aad assumes
| In the present war.