The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-05-18
HOUSE WILL
 NOT AGREE TO
 PASSPORT RULE
It Turns Down Conference Report to Extend Restric-
 tions Imposed in War.

Washington, May 17-Fear that Irish and other refugees could not use the United States a. haven, and a desire to end wartime restric tions, led the House today to decline i the conference report on the Diplo- rnatic and Consular Appropriation Bill Opposition arose to a. clause in- serted by the conferees which made i permanent the requirement that Americans leaving this country and aliens entering must have passports. The vote was 192 to 96.
 Wartime restrictions of passports expired on March 1, put were cun- tinued until March 4. 1921. The aim of the conferees was to continue these requirements indefinitely, their plea. being that many persons like those the Government is seeking to deport could be kept out if a pass. port and wise by an American Con- sular representative were required The conference amendment excepted 2 seamen entering leaving this country, and did not apply to na- tionals of Canada and Mexico leaving those countries, or Americans enter ing them. A few other exceptions such Cuba and the Bermudas were made. The cost of passport or wise. under the amendment $10.
 Representative Mann GRep., In). headed the opposition to the report on the floor, saying:
 Here is a. proposition that would prevent an IriShman fleeing from Ireland from entering the United States; which would prevent some man from South Africa persecuted by his Government fleeing to the Uni ted States; which would prevent any man in the Balkans persecuted by his government from fleeing to the Upit- , ed States. It would be impossible for them to obtain passports from their own country.
 Are we ready to-abrogate the right / of asylum to persecuted refugees from other lands? Does it mean that the United States has come at last to support tA autocratic govern ments of the world against such of their citizens as revolt against them :?
 Let us make an end to wartime e restrictions. Must every American citizen kowtow to the State Depart ment and exercise his right fo travel pleasure which waits for a passport and can grant it or-deny it in it's own discretion ?"
 Representative Sabath (Den1.. III called the provision "the most unrea- sonab1e, the most drastic, the most un-American and the most undemo- cratic piece of legislation ever brought before this House." "From what I know of President Wilson, am satisfied he will feel compelled to veto this bill if this conference report is adopted" he declared.
 Representative Siegel (Rep., N. Y.), called the legislation Oppressive in the extreme" and said it would de- nriVp American nf hoi ertiess
 Floor Leader Mondell urged the adoption of the report, declaring the egislaltion could be repealed at any time by Congress. He tn bought Great Britain would be willing to let any citizen of Ireland deRart who wants to come to the United States
 There is nothing to that conten- tion,~ he said. and on the objection to the increase in the passport fec he continued:
 "I think that any American who under present circumstances wants to go abroad can well afford to pay s1o for the privilege. Under present world conditions I think Americans should better arm themselves with passports This legislation will not keep from our doors a single honest, well-meaning person desiring to come and we want no other kind"
 Chairman Porter of the Foreign Affairs Committed who had charge of the bill, said American citizens en- tering one of the "chaotic'.- European countries should have conclusive evil dence of his citizenship. Mexico and Canada, it was explained during the debate, were omitted because of the impossibility of requiring a pass port. even when person steppe d across the border. Representative Flood, the Democratic member of the House conferees, said he wanted to make American citizenship hard to get and could see no reasonable ob- jection to the report.
 The provision may be eliminated ' from the appSopriation birl on a, fur ther attempt to continue the restric- tions before they expire next year.