The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-10
RACIAL ARGUMENTS
OYER IMMIGRATION
But Broadway Tabernacle
Hearing Is Skilfully Guided
Over Thin Ice.
LEGISLATION DISCUSSED
Wisconsin Professor Sees Peril
to America in Unskilled
Labor Influx.

There were the makings OF perfectly
Broadway Tabernacle, yesterday incl
dent to the one day conference on i'm
migration held under the auspices of the
National Committee for Constructive
immigration Legislation. AS it hap
pened. however, the hall was filed with
men and women who were disposed to
permit any one present to speak his or
her mind immune from opposition of a
sterner cast than polite demurrings.
First of all, Representative Benjamin
It. Welty of Ohio, speaking on his own
immigration BILL which, he says, has
no possible chance of being passed by
Congress. denounced Americans of Irish
blood who seek to embroil America in
war with England" for the sake of
ireland. Such some of Erin. he declared,
fell short of Americanism.
Then the Rev. William Carter. pastor
OF the Throop Avenue Presbyterian
Church, Brooklyn, arose. demanding to
know whether the object OF the meet
ing was not cloaked with sinister cam
outage, and whether the sponsors OF
the conference did not seek to dissem-
mate pro-Japanese propaganda He set
himself on record as a believer in the
theory that there were two races unas-
similable in America-the Asiatics and
the Africans. There were persons there
who disagreed with Mr. Carter. but the
only reply he received was that from
Prof. jeremiah w. jerks of New York
University, who said that he might feel
assured that the conference had no OBJ
ject other than to discuss constructive
Immigration legislation.
Rabbi Stephen S. Wise berated Amer
leans for their inhospitaIity to the immi-
grant.
Keep them out if you think them UNI
fit and dangerous" he declared, but IL
you do admit them treat them In man
ner that will start them right"
DR.. Wise declared that the theatre,
one Of the principal agencies OF Ameri'
canization, was in hands not sufficiently
In sympathy with the business of max
ing good Americans of aliens.
There are two kinds Of people who
need to be Americanized," he said, "the
foreign born and the native born"
Prof Edward A. Ross of the Univer-
sity Of Wisconsin, delivered the following
warning:
Unless our nation determines to
control it's composition people of the
most diverse origin, speech and cul-
ture will flow hither from all the globe
until the time arrives when the eco
nomic conditions of unskilled labor
here are SO unattractive that nowhere
on earth is u people so crowded or
poor that they will care to migrate to
the United States of America"
Unless we are willing to see an In
crease of heterogeneity and confusion
in this country, the spread OF color
lines, the transplanting to our soil Of
racial and national feuds and the for
nation Of social castles based upon
contrast between the properties, the
skilled workers and the unskilled
workers." Professor Ross went on,
I'VE must set up standards OF admis-
sion to this country"
Neither Immigration Commissioner
Wallis nor Representative Johnson.
chairman Of the House Committee on
Immigration, attended the conference.
Both were in Washington because OF
the Ellis Island appropriation hearing.
However, the Johnson bill. which
would restrict immigration for two
years. and then subject aliens to a
far stricter entrance examination, was
discussed.
Representative Benjamin r. Welty Of
Ohio, sponsor for the immigration bill
bearing his name and which is awaiting
action. said there was no hope that this
Congress would pass constructive immi-
grafton legislation. and that his bill had
no more chance of passage than the
Johnson bill-which chance, he insisted.
was negative.
Frances A. Kellor. former Assistant
state Labor Commissioner. and now
active In the interests of the National
Committee for Constructive immigration
Legislation. injected bit of news into
the proceedings by saying that Italy Is
considering the adoption o. law that
would give to her nationals in America
representation In the Italian Parliament.
In other words, Miss Kellor explained,
Italians earning money here would pos
sess inducements to remain italian clti-
gems here merely to earn what money
they could and subsequently spend that
money in Italy. Despite the fact that
they were taking all of the advantages
offered by America they would refuse to
become citizens Of the United States and
go so far as to maintain representation
In Rome.