The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-04-07
BNGRESS AGAIN
HAS IMMIGRANT
issue ONGARPET
County Actually Has Lost
Aliens Since the ARMS
tice Was Signed.
Scopyrsht 1920, BY The Wash
tngion Stor)

pngton StoTI
especial Dispatch to Ths West virginianJ
z WASHINGTON, April THE i'm
migrant problem is one that has agi-
lated Congress particularly since thu
signing of the armistice, November
III, 1918. Predictions were made botf
before and since that date that there
would be an influx of immigrants d.
rectly the warawas over, Bills have
ocen Introduced to limit and to ex-
einde Immigrants for periods running
rom two TO tHenty' yeatS after peace
was made. But SO far, no law has
( been enacted. A bill providing for
a. suspension of immigration foi fbui
I years was favorably reported from the
House committee in the winter OF
1850.
Now the House committee on i'm
migration Is proposing to deal with
he matter again. Hearings on the
entire subject are TO continue until
The committee has gathered all the in
formation 1t believes essential.
What actually has been the situation
with regard to immigration into this
country since the close OF hostilities.
Figures obtained from the Immigra-
ton Bureau show that from Decemi
her 1918 to November 1919 inclusive
the number of immigrant aliens waa
220,193 For the same period the
number ofIemigrant aliens was 246,-
557, representing an actual decrease
in the alien population of the country
The most recent figures show that
the number OF immigrant aliens in
November, 1919 totaled 1913 ana;
for the same month. the number OF
ernigfant aliens was 3S105. The fig
iires for December, January, February
and March are not yet available, but
II is estimated that they will approx
innate those of November. The dan.
ger Of horde of aliens overrunning
the country through immigration,
therefore. does not appear as immi-
nent as 1t did at the time the armis-
tice was signed.
Nevertheless, many members of
congress are still intent upon sus-
pending migration for period OF
years. Development after this coun.
try entered the war showed clearly
that too little has been dLte in tha
past to bring about the assimilation of
aliens aid their Americanizatton
There have been too many hyphenat-
ed Americans. The advocates Of sus-
pension Of Immigration believe that
II would be the wiser part during the
next few years to attemp to. bring
about the Americanizatlon and assim.
ilationfof those aliens already within
the United States, insttad of permit.
ting the number OF aliens to grow
constantly.
When the actual immigration into
the United States in the last 100 year,
is considered, the tremendous task OF
assimilation may be better under
stood. In that period the arrivals
reached tho huge total of 3S,20O,10SN
The high water mark was reached in
1907 when approximately 1.2S9DOO
immigrants entered the country. In
the following year, The immigration
dropped to about 100000. But in 1914
IL had again increased and in that
year amounted to 1.225,o00.
1t is true that after the signing of
the armistice immigration did show
an increase. In the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1918, the number Of nm.
migrants was 141,132, as compared to
1858 for the previous year. But rs
has been shown the number of aliens
leaving the country has more than