Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-11-29
FOR RESTRICTION
o.: Immigration
Senator Sterling Proposes
Creation Of Board to Con-
troll Admissions to U. S.

lEOJ AUII1lSSIUIlS " u D.
The creation Of federal immigra-
tion board to pass upon questions
relating to immigration, including the
number of immigrants that shall be
admitted into the. United States, will
be urged by Senator Sterling OF South
Dakota, when Congress reassembies.
Senator Sterling has just returned
to Washington from New York, where
he went last week to make a personal
study of the Immigration situation.
He visited Ellis Island and also went
down the bay, boarded the White star
liner Olympic, and came up IN the
steerage.-
Thinks Legislation Imperative.
IT am convinced that restriction OF
immigration at this time is impera-
tive" said Senator Sterling. "ordi-
narily I am inclined to be ienient in
the matter Of immigration and would
oppose restriction of immigration
Hut the conditions OF Europe, ana tne
fact that immigrants are seeking to
come to~the United States IN numoeIs
that cannot be readily asslmiiateo
make restrictionsnecessary.
Ts-rh are are two fundamental reasons
fof Ssfr1aiadn sof' immigration new
ThAs frst is the labor situation. W.
want American lAkbr to be able g
continue on q high standard. which y
in DSs sas sfsS iEo% Ss no the horass @ tsk!
1 fhf hare. The SECOND is thai
t53s{ken = there is@ further restriction
81 dfs.af efAfneYite which are disturbing
tother nations today will the more
a silly enter sthe United States.
Ovveses| Absslute Exclusion.
senator stefnng said that he knew
there was. sentiment among some
members Of Congress for the absolute
exclusion of all immigration for the
,,resent but that he was unwilling 70
70 that far. He said:
ser believe that the most obvious 20.
I,ition is through a competent fmmi-
grafton board which will consider tn e
assimiIabiIhy OF the various nation
aIities or ethnic groups, the standards
Of living OF the peoples of the " rious
nationalities or groups and how their
standards correspond with the stand
ards Of American workmen.
..Thie board will consider also the
amount OF unemployment in the
United Uni ,Som,s Sea.ss eondttions ana tns see '
sTt will have. IL constituted. the
power to admit to the United States
Immigrants from any group or ma
tionaiity, or all such groups-but only
in such. numbers as We can readily
assimilate and find employment for.
operate with the various states OF the
Union regarding the distribution of
Immigrants entering the United
States = --'--
Eject Of Proposed Law.
Senator Sterling said that the enact
Ynent into law Of the bill which he
planned to offer would in effect cut
off immigration except such as should
be approved by the federal board to
BE- Westad. He said he had not de-
cided whether the board should be
cDnstituted from members Of the
cabinet. including the Secretary OF
Stata, Secretary Of the Interior, SEQ
retary Of Labor. Secretary of Com
mercs and the Secretary OF Agricnl-
pointees by the President (confirmed
BY the Senate) other than cabinet
In his bill Senator Sterling plans
60 insert q. provision which wouk.
compel immigrants entering this
ana, obey the laws Of the United
Statna He plans. too, for the use
of =. text book on American inshtu-
tions. which would be the basis OF
an examination before the immigrant
could become naturalixed citizen
"rhere is no doubt that much could
be accomplished. and should be ac-
complished, 1t tho othor end, even
today. Onscals on the other side
should $50 TO 1t that immigrants ara
not allowed to sail for this country
immiErants should be properly in
formed 40 to the laws OF the United
states regarding the entry of immt-
rrants, I saw a room crowded with
SEQ men, women and children await
ing tAsporeation because they ,cS could
were. some real tragedies among these
cases of deportation. too,
Crfttessea steamsAtp ComDanies.
"Some. OF the steamship companies
are encouraging immigration to this
country So as to get the business. I
am told that they charge enough for
the passage over here. to carry tho
immikrantS back to Europe II they
are not admitted"
Senator Sterling said that no has
witnessed the examination OF tho I'm.
migrants and that many OF them ap-
peared to be bright and desirable i'm
migrants but others ., r. were % stupid @ and
zens. On one ship fourteen stow
aways were found. he said. He said he
had been told that there is a suspi-
cion that some of the foreign coun-
tries are conniving at the presence of
on the ships TO get rid OF
undesirabies.
On the Olympic, he said. there were
1924 steerage passengers. many Of
them English. Italians. Scandina-
vians and Jews. and some Hollanders.
They were OF q better class OF immi-
grants. he said.
Conditions on Ellis Island. Senator
SterliDg said. he found to DO good.
the bay,hy Immigration Commissioner