The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-08-21
BILL INTRODUCED
THAT WOULD STOP
ALL IMMIGRATION
Preventative Measure to be Eff
fective for Two Years
VERY DRASTIC MEASURE
IL Would Also Deport All Aliens Who
Withdrew Papers to Escape
Draft

Washington, Aug. 20.-A bill to stop
all immigration for two years and to
deport all aliens who withdrew their
first papers in order to escape mill.
tary service during the war was intro
duced today by Chairman Johnson OF
the House immigration committee.
The measure is regarded as the
most drastic of the kind ever present
ed to Congress.
Adoption of the bill would mean
its Trainers say, literal fulfillment OF
the iso-called "gentlemen's agree
ment" between the United States and
Japan with respect to immigration
and would keep out Japanese coolies.
Under the Root-Tokihara agree
ment, Japan is obligated to send no
collies to this country, but it charged
the records disclose that they arrive
by the thousands, with passports as
merchants, students and the like.
Once here, it is alleged, they remain,
send for picture brides" raise fami-
lies and their children become citi-
zens of the United States by right of
birth.
Representative Albert Johnson of
Hoquiam, Wash, chairman Of the
House immigration committee, in
charge of the preparation of the bill,
says the requirement that aliens land
ing at American parts must have
passports with time limit will break
up the great inflow of foreigners. The
bill provides that alnies coming with
in exemption clauses of the present
law must obtain passports from their
own governments, vised by consular
agents OF the United States, and
limited as to time.
But the bill does not stop there.
Aliens, who under the present laws
are eligible to citizenship, would be
permitted to come to the United
States without passports providinJ
they state In writing their belief that
they intend to reside here and be-
come citizens. They must agree to
register at least once a year, failure
to do so being cause for deporta-
tion. Failure to take out first papers
at the end of two years residence, al
so is cause for deportation
After taking out papers, aliens
must remain here five years for final
citizenship, with a time allowance off
for knowledge of the elements of the
American plan of government and
proficiency in the English language.
II an alien does not require citizen
ship in eight years he is sent home.
The committee hopes to provide a
plan in which citizens of contiguous
territory, Canada and Mexico may
visit the United States on cards is
sued annually.
Chairman Johnson is trying to
have Congress send special commit
tee comprising eastern and middle
west members to the Pacific coast to
study the japanese situation. 1--WE
want the east to study it," he said.
He continued:
Immigrants now come to the Unit
ed States freely and are required to
pass mental and physical tests Many
classes, such as lawyers, teachers,
students, merchants and actors, are
exempted from these tests. These
are the class that it is proposed to
have come with limited passports
That is to say they are to come as
visitors, and not as prospective citi
zens II one comes as a prospective
citizen he must so state, and agree
in writing to place himself under pro-
baton, reporting at stated intervals
That is all there is to it, Visitors
are welcome, We have room for de-
sirable immigrants, but must have a
guarantee as to their continued desir
ability and their willingness to ac-
quire not only American citizenship
but all that the world Americanism
implies.
Members of the committee say it is
not likely bill suspending immigra-
tion for any stated period could pass
Congress now. A year ago it could
have passed, they add