Norwich bulletin., 1917-02-06
Immigration Bill
 Becomes a Law
SENATE ovERRIDEs PRESIDENT
 WILSON'S VETO
VOTE STOOD 62 TO 1s
Measure Contains Literacy Test Pro- vision Which Has Been Fouqht for Twenty Years-Senator Rrandeaee Voted to Sustain Veto.


 overridden a veto. by President Will son for the first time and enacted into 1 law the immigration bill with it's long l fought hteracy test provision. The senate voted late today 62 to 19 to pass the measure notwithstanding the veto and in spite of eleventh hour in formation that Japan had again pro- tested against the language of the Asiastic exclusion section. The house overturned the veto last week by a vote of 2S7 to 106, so the senate's action ends the contest of twenty years standing in which three presidents have repuidated similar bills passed by congress. The international situation was brought into the closing debate in the senate, Sena tor Reed calling attention to the Japanese objection and pleading that nothing be done at this time to distrub or impair the country's re- lations with a friendly nation. Sena- tor Smith of South Carolina, chairman ed with the declaration that the pres ent state of international affairs em- phasized the necessity for pure Homogeneous American people, such as the bill was intended to protect The vote on the repassage of the bill was as follows:
 Voted Against Veto.
 To override the veto:
 Democrats - Ashurst. ,Bankhead, Beckham. Bryan. Chamberlain, Chil- ton, culberson, Fletcher, Hardwick Hughes. James. Johnson of Maine; Myers, Overman. Phelan. Pittman Pomerene, Robinson. Shafroth. Shep- pard, Shields, Simmons. Smith of eGorgia; Smith of South Carolina, Thomas. Tillnan, Underwood, Varda- man. Williams.-34.
 Republicans-Borah. Brady, Clapp, Cummins Curtis, Dillingham;, Fall Gallinger, Gronna. Harding, Jones. Kenyon. La Toilette, Lodge, McCum- Der, Nelson, Norris, Page, Penrose, Poindexter, Smooth. Sterling, Suther- land, Townsend, WadswortIl, Watson Weeks, Works-2S.
 Total 62.
 Voted 10 Sustain Veto.
 Against ever-ridirg the veto:
 Dem fIusting John- son of South Dakota, Lewis. Maritime, Ransdell. Reed, Salisbury, Stone Thonpspn, Walsh-11
 Repub1icans-Brande Clark, Colt Dupont, Lippitt. Sherman, Smith of Michigan. Warren-S.
 Total 19.
 Change of Votes.
 Senator PheIan, one of those who voted to override the veto, had voted against the original passage of the bisl. Senators who voted for the original bill but would not vote to pass it over the veto were Hollis, Johnson of South Dakota and Thomp- son, democrats. and Sherman and Smith of Michigan, republicans.
 Senator Reed communicated inform ation from the state department to the effect that the Japanese embassy had called attention to language in the bill providing that no alien now 'in any way" excluded from entry into the United States would in future be per mitted to enter. He said the criticism was based on their belief that this language wrote into law the Root-Ta- kahira 'Egentlemen's passport agree ment" against the entry of Japanese laborers.
 Senator Lodge Explains.
 Senator Lodge of Massachusetts, ranking republican member of the for eign relations committee, explained the progress of the provisions to which Japanese objection had been voiced in the various stages of such Iegisla- ton. He said when the present bill went to conference it was decided to phrase the language so as to exclude all aliens fin any way" excluded or prevented from entering the United States" "It applies to all the world" said he. Tt does not in my judgment touch the treaty of 1911 (the treaty with Japan, which is modified by the so-caIled gentlemen's agreement) at all. They desired that we not make any allusion to the gentlemen'S agree ment and we've made none. We have cast no reflection on any race or made
 
 agreement will go right on if Japan chooses to uphold it.
 The literacy test provided for in the bill excludes from the United States all aliens over Is years of age, physi- cally capa ble of reading, who cannot read the English language 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 55 years of age, his wife, mother. grand mother or unmarried or widowed daughter, if otherwise admissible, re- gardlcss of whether such relatives can read.
 Immediately after the senate's ac- tion Representative Gardner of Mass achusetts introduced in the house a new immigration measure to limit the number of aliens coming into this country to a total of 100000 in excess of the outgoing aliens.
 NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT
 IS NEARLY SNOwROIJND