The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-12-18
Rep. John L. Burnett.

Washington. Dec. 1S.-CSpedaD- -
Restriction of immigration into the
United States for a period Of two
or three years as measur8e of pro-
lection to American soldiers and
workers through the period OF re-
| construction is to be proposed in q
bill to be submitted to the house by
Representative Burnett of Alabama,
chairman of the committee on i'm
migration.
While Mr.. Burnett's plans at this
time are only tentative. he says that
he feels strongly that all immigra-
tion ought to be stopped for a def
mite period. 4
After the period Of the ban on i'm
migration Mr.. Burnett plans to offer
an amendment to the present immi-
grafton laws extending the Iiteracy
test Of which he is the author.
There are indications that the i'm
migration question soon is to be re-
vived in congress as one Of the most
important of all reconstruction meas
ures. .t
Labor Demanding Restrictions
Organized labor, the department Of
labor and many other agencies are
migration, and 1t seems probable
that their, demand will receive rec
ognition. fIa...
On the other hand. many business
men and corporations which are
large employers Of unskil1ed labor,
are opposed to any restriction Of i'm
migration and have indicated that
they will fight hard against move
ments to that end. =.
The immigration question has sew
eral complicated features. Because
of the war the lower classes in Eu-
rope have been subject to more op-
preston than they have been for
decades past, and it is expected by
the department OF labor that as soon
as peace terms have been worked
out immigration will start on a
great scale.
Rush From Germany Expected
For four years immigration has
been at a standstill. Those who
would have come into this country in
those years, together with the nor
NAL flow. and the flow Of those try
ing to escape the heavy burdens that
are sure to be imposed in Europe are
all expected to take part in q great
rush to this country. Then. too, a
great rush of immigration is expect
ed from Germany, Austria, Bulgaria
and even from the Christian COM
ponents of the Turkish empire.
Most of these people would come
from countries which have been at
war with the United States, and
some of the senators and represen-
tatives have expressed doubts as to
whether or not they ought to be per-
mitted to enter this country on an
equal footing with the immigrants
from other countries which have
been cobelligerents with the United
States Many have said they desired
to know If the Bolsheviki Of Russia,
the followers Of Trotzky, the former
New York agitator, and the disciples
of anarchy and opposition to law, are
to be permitted to enter the country.
What is to be done with the for
mer soldiers Of italy, France, Eng
land. Russia, Greece, Serbia and
Montenegro who will wish to come
to the United States is another uues-
ton that is being asked. Included
in their number it is pointed out. are
thousands who left this country to
hight for their native lands, and who
!Tenounced allegiance to the United
States In order to become soldiers.
Are these men to be barred from re-
entering this country, is a question
that is also receiving attention.
Many economists have called at
tention to the fact that the United
States faces a great shortage OF nm
skilled labor for the great Industrial
expansion that they predict in This
country. -