The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-24
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ATION
BUREAU
Washington, D. C
ABoUT-FACE ON IMMIGRATION.
Washington, D. c

Washington, ID. e., Jan. z4.-t or
years we have been welcoming the inn
migrant to America. Now, it appears,
we are about to show him the cold
shoulder. In congress a strong senti-
ment in favor of restricting immigra-
ton has developed and restrictive leg
islation seems almost certain to pass
The cause of this about-face is
not far to seek. 1t lies in the
spread th&uout Europe of that form
of radical socialism known by the
name of BolsheVism- The VERY quar-
tiers from which we might expect our
heaviest immigration are saturated
with this political doctrine, the es-
sence of which is that private prop
erty in land and the means of produc-
ton should be abolished, and state
ownership of these utilities should su-
pervene.
This doctrine is especially repugnant
to American capitalists and business
men. They are the ones who have
supported the open-door policy with
regard to immigration, because this
policy supplied them with cheap Ia
Dor. American union labor has al
ways been against unrestricted immi-
grafton for the same reason that cap
, ital has favored it-namely, that it
keeps wages down. With the dark
cloud of Bolshevism looming large on
| the horizon, these two prime forces
| in our national industrial life suddenly
| find themselves at one in their oppo-
! sition to immigra ton. Congress- or
| course, agrees with both of them
The immediate reason assigned for
| putting a check upon immigration is
that we are threatened with surplus
of labor, which should not be in
| creased. The desire to keep out the
Bolshevists is also frequently men
| toned.
From the educational and scientific
| viewpoints, restriction of immigration
| is most desirable. We have undoubt-
| edly been importing human material
faster than we could assimilate it. In
| one draft there were 100000 recruits
| that could not speak English. How,
! ask the educators, can you expect to
| operate a republic, founded upon the
! sovereign intelligence of the industrial
voter, when a large percentage of the
voters cannot even speak the language
| of the republic?
! Anthropologists have also been
pointing out for some time the original
| Anglo-Saxon blood, which made Amer
! lea, is being diluted with other bloods,
which, according to the scientists, are
of inferior quality. Upon the presence
| of this uneducated and radically in
ferior mass of population, they would
| blame large part of our social and
political troubles.
! There is a good deal of difference
| of opinion as to whether there will be
! any heavy immigration-to restrict. One
| school of observers, led by Frederick
| C. Howe, maintains that the movement
will be the other way-that thousands
| of the fOreign-born in this country
| will return to Europe, attracted by the
opportunity to obtain lands, the new
| liberties which are being everywhere
| granted the people, and the immense
works Of reconstruction which must
| be undertaken there
To- -fa4;%
labor appears essential in fairness to
! our fighters. These men are deserV-
| ing of ample opportunity to reinstate
| themselves in the Industrial field with
out competition from cheap immigrant
| labor. This point seen. to be settled.
How long it will take the United
| States to absorb it's unemployed and
settle down to a normal condition is
| the disputed question. The bill orig
| inally drafted provides for exclusion
of immigrants, with a few unim-
portant exceptions, for four years
After that time. only I small percent
age based on the number of natural
| lied aliens in this country would be
! admitted.
There is no doubt that the United
| States will have no need for incoming
| labor during. this year. The Ameri-
can Federation of Labor goes as far as
! to predict that our unemployment
! situation will be sufficiently serious
| 10 result IN DreaQ lines py May. Inc
| danger of widespread unemployment
is not an unfounded surmise. Re-
ports from labor centers turnout the
| country show large numbers of I'M
| employed as a result of closing of war
| enterprises.
There is considerable talk regarding
| the coming era of prosperity to be
/ brought about thru the great amount
of work to be done. So far, the coun-
try seems to be waiting for the high
cost of everything to go down, and for
the actual signing of peace. Increas-
iEg demands on the United States as
| a producing nation will employ many
more workers than ever before, but
the call for extra labor will come
slowly.
! Students of immigration problems
are expressing varied opinions as to
the type of immigrant that would
come to the United States now if all
bars on immigration were let down.
Some observers claim that the i'm
| migrant type will change from the
Iaborer to the small professional man
and tradesman. Undoubtedly such
i persons would be amalgamated into
! American life more readily than the
new stock of small doctors. lawyers
and merchants-all consumerS-into a
| land already overcrowded with these
classes would be a doubtful blessing
Besides our point of view, the man
power situation of Europe should be
taken into account. War losses have
cut down the population of Europe so
that every able-bodied man is more
than ever a valuable-asset to his state.
Even in overcrowded Italy there will
not be as much unemployment as be-
fore the war. 1t is quite possible that
European countries may legislate so
as to prevent the emigration of their
young men who have escaped disa bill
ity thru war. These men are the hope
of their countries for reconstruction.
1t is not unfair to Europe that the
United States should suspend immi-
grafton at this time, some urge, for it
is the part of these people to restore
their own countries to order and pros
perity instead of Sinking responsible