The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-02-06

BILL A LAW;
VETO FAILURE
CUTS OUT JAPS BUT
THEY'RE NOT NAMED
Only Thirty Vetoes Over
ridden in the Nation ;.
History.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-Congess
has over-ridden veto by President
Wilson for the first time and enacted
into law the immigration bill with ito
long-fought literacy test provision.
The Senate voted late today 81 to -
TO pass the measure, NOTWITHSTANDING
the veto and in spite Of eleventh,hour
information that Japan again had pro-
Tested against the language OF the
Asiatic exclusion section.
The House overturned the veto last
week by vote of 2S7 to lO6, so the
Senate's action ends the contest OF
twenty years standing in which three
president have repudiated similar
bills passed by Congress.
The International Situation.
The international situation was
brought into the closing debate in the
Senate, Senator Reed calling attention
TO the Japanese objection and plead
ing that nothing be done at this time
TO disturb or impair the country's re.
lations with friendly nation. Sena-
tor Smith Of South Carolina, chair
man OF the immigration Committee,
answered with the declaration that
the present state Of international az
fairs emphasized the necessity for
pure. homogeneous American people,
such as the bill was intended to pro.
tect.
Senator Reed communicated infor-
nation from the State Department 20
the effect that the Japanese emby
had called attention to the language
in the bill providing that no alien now
lin any way" excluded from entry
into the United States would in future :.
be permitted to enter. He said the
criticism was based on their beltM
that this language wrote into law the
Root-TakahTa gentleman's passport
agreement against the entry Of Japar
nese laborers.
Entry of Japanese Laborers.
Senator Lodge Of Massachusetts,,
ranking Republican member Of the
Foreign Relations committee, e1
planned. the progress of the provisions
TO which Japanese objection has been
voiced in. the various stages Of such
legislation. He said when the present
bill went to conference 1t was decided
10 phrase the language SO as to ex.
clude all aliens lin any way excluded
or prevented from entering the United
States.
1T applies to all the world" said he.
1T does not. in my judgment, touch
the treaty of 1911 (the treaty with Ja
pan, which is modified by the so-called
gentlemen's agreement), at all. They
desired that we not make any allusion
to the gentlemeh's agreement, and
we've made none. We have cast no
reflection on any race, and made the
discrimination. The gentlemen's agree.
ment will go right on II Japan choosei
10 uphold it."
The Literary Test
provided for in the bill excludes from
oil nIt
years of age, physically 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 grand.
father, over 55 years OF age, his vile,
mother grandmother, or unmarried or
widowed daughter, if otherwise admis.
sible, regardless Of whether such rel.
atives can read. -
Immediately after the Senate's &C.
ton, Representative Gardner, OF Mas
sachusetts, introduced In the House
new immigration measure to limit tne
number OF aliens coming into tnls
country to total of 100000 IN excess
of the outgoing aliens.
President Cleveland
with a literacy test provision. Prest-
dent Taft disapproved the second bill,
and in 1915 President Wilson rejected
the third. President Wilson wrote his
second veto message a few weeks ago.
Only 80 vetoes have been over-rid.
den in the history Of the United States
and but four OF them have been within
the past 35 years. In 1882 Congress
passed a river and harbor bill over
of 524 pension bills vetoed by Presi.
dent Cleveland was forced through
Congress. In Roosevelt's administra-
ton a bill to extend time for construc'
ton of dam on the Rainy, river. in
Minnesota, was passed despite execu.
tive disapproval, and President Tafts
rejection of the Webb. Kenyon inter-
state commerce liquor law was repu'
dated.