Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-10-11

Shutting the Door on Undssirablss
A short time before his death
Colonel Roosevelt referred most
graphically to the danger Of this
country becoming "a polygot board
ing house." filled with all manner Of
incompatible and undesirable aliens
from the four corners Of the earth.
His warning is verified by the recent
statement Of Representative Albert
johnson of Washington. chairman of
the House immigration committee.
He asserted that thousands Of boil
sheviki are swarming in Japan, walt
ing for the lifting of the wartime
passport regulations to dock to the
United States. AS soon as the peace
treaty is ratified these wartime re-
strictions cease automatically, and
under the present immigration laws
there is nothing, as Mr.. johnson says.
except the literacy test and a few
clauses about anarchy and poverty
to keep these radicals out"
The United States is not only a
nice, comfortable place for bolshe-
Wiki to live and prosper individual
ly, but it is proving to be a fertile
and successful field for their revo-
lutionary operations. The fact that
Trotzky found free asylum here APP
peals to them, and the fact that Mr..
w. X. c. Martens. the self-designat-
ed representative of the Russian
soviet government. operates I'M
molested in his New York Office, dis
bursting several thousand dollars each
day, makes them itch to get here and
proclaim the golden doctrine Of
proletariatism to a waiting and be-
nighted people. 1t is growing more
and more apparent that the majority
of the strikes and social disturbances
here are conducted with full knowl-
edge of and advice from Europe.
Not only are the bolsheviki them
selves anxious to come here, but the
European countries where they are.
are trying to unload them and the
United States appears to be the
natural place to send them.
Urging the need for haste. Chair
man Johnson has induced the House
to hold hearings on the idea Of con-
tinuing the wartime passport regula-
lions and has introduced a bill en-
bodying further regulations which he
thinks are needed. He has the en-
phatic. approval of Secretary Lansing
who told the House committee that
all foreign countries are adopting
measures to regulate the influx Of
foreigners during the present unset
tied condition of the world.
The johnson bill proposes to in
clude all who might come into the
country under the exemption clauses
of the immigration bill. such as doc
tors, lawyers, teachers, students.
preachers and merchants. Under this
bill they shall come only on pass
ports from their own governments,
duly viseed by our consular agents
as to the nature of their business and
the length Of their stay. Those who
are eligible for citizenship, who do
not come with passports for tenn
porary stay, shall come only upon
taking at the port Of entry an oath
that they intend to acquire citizen
ship. that they will register once each
year, that they will accept deporta-
ton for failure to register or failure
to obey the law and regulations of
the country, and that they must re-
main on probation two years before
taking out first papers. and five years
more before receiving full and COM
plete naturalization. Another clause
of the bill admits on annual card
passport those who have reason to
come and go from Canada and
Mexico, and shuts out the Japanese,
as under the existing laws they are
denied citizenship.
1t is not intended that these pass
port regulations shall Jake the place
of immigration laws. but the latter
will require much debate and careful
consideration while the continuance
Of passport rules in force through
out the war can be easily and quick
ly provided for to take care Of a
situation potent with great danger.
The New England tuberculosis
Conference will he held Oct 1917 in