Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-05

ccrhcu we nave injected new cle-
mcnt into the situation in the litcrucy
test.
The litcracy test would have barred
more than 20 per cent OF the immi-
grants In the last few typical years
But the tide Of immigration is made up
OF streams OF many different races.
Just where will the effects of the new
provision be most sharply felt?
ran Il dozen European nations have
given the United States by far tho
greater part OF its present population.
either az direct ,emiIrants or aS the
descendants OF cmigrants or all ma.
tionalities that have gone to the max
ing OF this country. in point OF num-
bers. the British stock stands easily
first. I'm the last century there have,
been 100000 Immigrants from III.
United kinSdom-England. ireland and
Scotland-out Of total of $1,000 900.
so one-uuarter OF all our hnmiEr ton
mas come from the United Kingdom.
more than that, the bulk of il came
early. reaching its high-watcr mark
more than sixty years ago. although il
has been the most constant Of any Of
the many streams. But the greater
part OF these Britishers have been
Americans for II good many years: they
have had time To multiply on American
SOIL The part of the nation that they
form Is thus even larger than would
be indicated by the fact that they lead
al other nationalities in the immiSra-
ton statistics.
british Little Affected.
The people OF this stock viii be little
affected by litcracy test. il more OF
thcm choose 10 come Ia the United
states in the future. on, Of $4,000
English who came to this country as
immigrants last year. there were only
ioU VINO could not read and write
After the British. our leading imni-
grant stock is the German. Like the
Ehslish. II came early. and has had
time to establish itself and increase in
the United States. German imm,gra-
ton was at It's high point back in
1883 md again In 1852. Altogether
almost 100000 Germans have come To
inns country. and il is obvious that
what was once German stock forms a
ihrSe part OF the present American
stock. Should relations /betw"cn tn.
United States and Germany after the
war be such rs 10 encourage immirra-
tion. the, literacy test viii mean little
To tho Germans. Out Of 1000 who
came last year. only about 100 were
iliitcrate
Somewhat later than tn" British and
German tides came tho scandinavian.
Beginning about 1865. the annual i'm
migration from these countries rapidly
mounted. until more than 2.ou0. 900 have
arrived. People OF these nations win
be affected by the litcracy provision
practically not nj all. out Of 20.o0t
scandinavian immigrants who arrived
iaisl year. bHIS fourteen could not read.
But immigration has changed vastly
in the last two decades. No longer do
EnSlishman. German and ndinavian
constitute the bulk Of it. Now tho
stream comes from three other conn
trics-AuStria- Hungary RUSSIA and
italy In 1894. Italy sent 10000 emit
grants. In 1914 she sent $4,000 In
1894 Austria sent $4,000 In 1914 che
sent 21s.neo. In 1894 there came from
Russia $4,000: in 1914 there were .55.-
900. lteracy test would hit these
national!ties hard out OF $4,000 South
Italians who came in 1916. 10000 could
not read.
ftussinn IIlitcrncy IN High.
out ri 5000 Russians. more than 400
could not read. out OF $1,000 Hebrews
most OF them Russian. 1000 could not
rcad; but there Is clause in the new
iaw admitting those who leave their
old country on account OF religious
persecution which would probabl have
allowed most of these Hebrews to
enter.
Another spot whore tho l;tcracy pro-
vision will make itself felt il among
the Balkan peoples or 1000 Bull
garians. Scrbians and Mountaineering
admitted last year. 1000 were IL
litcratr
Broadly speaking. it is plain that
the litcracy test viii not tend 10 bar
the Older stocks that made tho Amcri-
can. The British. the Scandinavian
and the German. who between them
gave the United States almost half lis
total Immigration. and gave the bulk Of
II many years ago. 50 that the dcScen-
dants Of the immigrants have multi
pllcd--thcsc nHtionaiities VIII be prac-
tically untouched BY the litcracy test.
But such immigrants in the last twenty
years hnve been largely replaced by
others. so that while the siz. OF the
stream has increased. its character has
changed And immigrants Of the
newer races, who have been making
the bulk Of tho stream for the last
two decades. vii be widely affected
by the new test. large numbers OF them
dcbarrcd by IL. The test has been
criticized for injustice. IL has been
characterized AZ pcnalizinS. not lack
OF ability but lack of opportunity:
hut II has hccoinc law, and the time
mas com" now. not 10 criticize, hut
to take stock Of it's probable conse-
utcnres