Evening star., 1920-04-07
THE FORE|GN-BORN'
T0P|CAT MEETING
Thirty Races Represented at
First National Immigra-
ton Conference.

NEW YORK. April iby the AsSo-
ciated Press>.-The first national I'M
migration conference ever held IN
America began here today to discuss
naturalization and immigration laws.
the shortage of labor. the exodus oil
immigrants from America and the
cause of unrest among the foreign
born with view to formulating
recommendations to Congress. The
meeting was under the auspices OF
the Interracial Council OF New YORK.
and delegates included representa-
tives of thirty racial groups ana
spokesmen for industry, agriculture
capital and labor.
William II. Barr. president of the
Interracial Council and Spokesman
for industry. and Gen. Coleman du
Pont. chairman of the board OF ui-
rectors of the Interracial Conncll.
opened the meeting: statement
prepared by r.. T. Meredith. Secre-
tary of Agriculture. was read IN
which he approved of any legitimate
effort to point the way in which the
immigrant may be helped to become
thorough going American
Men Leaving America.
America is 100000 men short as
result of the d :TindlinG of lmm'-
grafton since the war" Gen. du Pont
said Thousands of immigrants are
going back; othc- thousands are mi
grating to Canada, South America
and Australia. and other countries
are making organized efforts to at
tract immigration. The United states
is not.
"Thcre are over 200 bills pending
in Washington which. if passed. will
shut out the future supply of immi-
grant workmen and will demoralize
industrial and credit conditions in
America. They also will have the
effect of excluding immigrants who
left this country following the armi-
stice to attend to affairs in the home
lands and who may want to return
to America.
The indiscriminate denunciation
of the foreign born which has been
taking place in America Is resulting
in many of them leaving this coun-
try. 1t is resulting also in growing
misunderstandings between native
and foreign born residents and in
general decentralization of industrial
and social life.
Need for National Policy.
The situation is a grave one. call
ing for concerted nationwide action.
There is need of a national policy for
dealing with this entire subject.
The immigrant no longer will come
to America to enjoy freedom of wor-
ship or the right of free speech. but
the 'impelling reason will be eco
nomic." Mr.. Barr said.
"One of the important industrial
is the problem of adequate porduc-
is the problem of adequate produc-
perity depends upon sound production
and one of it's essential features is Il
sufficient supply of unskilled work
ers. We need such abor for the farm.
in industry. in the home. For years it
is the labor of the immigrant that
has supplied this need, and unless we
have a dependable supply even the
raw material upon which skilled Ia
Dor itself depends will be lacking
There are two other highly i'm
portant aspects of the question. One
is selective immigration and another
is immigrant assimilation.
If we admit immigrants we must
accept only those who are potentially
good citizens. and. having accepted
them, We must provide the means
that will make good citizens"
Mr.. Meredith's Statement.
Secretary Meredith's statement out
lined the work of the Department of
and with reference to
and the farm-labor prob
lem. said:
Many thousands of immi grants who
came from farms in their home coun-
try and who are real lovers Of the
soil. have been sidetracked in our
great cities because they'd do not know
how to go about 1t to get a foothold
on the agricultural ladder.
with the poor living conditions in
the congested centers. these people
are likely to become discontented.
Often they are. misplaced, working at
occupations for which they are un-
fitted and struggling to make their
wages meet the rising costs of ex-
istence. Living in colonies in the cit
les. learning nothing of our language.
customs and ideals, they-may become
the prey Of agitators and form an
element of unrest.
10 n
elements can be transformed into con-
tented agricultural workers if they
are told how to make the right
move"