Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-02-06
SENATE PASSES
THE Immigration
BILL over VETO
Measure Made Law Despite
Presidents Disapproval Of
Literacy Test and OBJ
lection of Japan.
LATE PROTEST FROM TOXIC
Mikado's Government Disikes
Language of Asiatic Ex-
clusion Section.
HITCHCOCK NOT VOTING

Washington, Feb. 5.-Congress has
overriden a veto by. President Wilson
ior the first time and enacted into
law the immigration bill with its long
fought literacy test provision. The
senate voted late today, e. to l9 to pass
the measure notwithstanding the veto
and in spite of eleventh hour informa-
ton that Japan again had protested
against the language of the Asiatic eN-
c,usion section.
The house overturned the veto last
week by vote of 267 to 1906, so the
senate's action ends the contest Of
twenty years standing in which three
presidents have repudiated similar
bills passed by congress.
The international situation was
brought into the closing debate in the
senate, Senator Reed calling atten-
tion to the Japanese objection and
pleading that nothing be done at this
time to disturb or impair the coun-
try's relations with friendly nation.
Smith Defends Bill.
Senator Smith of South Carolina,
chairman OF the immigration commit
tee, answered with declaration that
the present state of international af-
fairs emphasized the necessity for a
pure homogeneous American people,
such as the bill was intended to pro-
tcct
Senator Reed communicated infor-
nlatior from the State department to
the effect the Japanese embassy had
called attention to language in the
bill, providing that no aliens now in
any way" excluded from the country
would in the future be permitted to
enter the United States. He said the
criticism was based on their belief
that this language wrote into law
the Root Takahira gentlemen's pass
port agreement against the entry of
japanese laborers.
Applies to the World.
Senator Lodge OF Massachusetts,
ranking republican member Of the
foreign relations committee explained
the privileges of the provisions to
which Japanese objections have been
voiced in the various stages Of such
legislation. He said when the pres
ent bill went to conference it was
decided to phrase the language so as
to exclude all aliens "in any way" ex-
cluded or prevented from entering the
United States.
1T applies to all the world" he
said. st does not in my judgment
touch the treaty of 1911 (the treaty
with Japan, which is modified by the
so-called gentlemen's agreement) at
all They desired that we not make
allusion to the gentlemen's agree
ment and we've made none We have
cast no reflection on any race or made
no discrimination. The gentlemen's
agreement will go right on if Japan
chooses to uphold it."
The Literacy Test.
The literacy test provided for in the
bill excludes from the United States
all aliens over 10 years of age, physi-
cally capable of reading, who cannot
read the English language or some
other language or dialect including
Hebrew or Yiddish. Any admissible
alien. however, or any citizen of the
United States may bring in or send
for his father or grandfather, over IS
years Of age, his wife. mother, grand
mother. or unmarried or widowed
daughter if otherwise admissible, re-
gardless of whether such relatives can
read
Immediately after the senate's
action, Representative Gardner of
Massachusetts introduced in the house
a measure to limit the number of
aliens to this country to a total of
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