The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1921-01-12
SELECTIVE IMMIGRATION
(From Harvey's Weekly

qualification as serious and enlight-
ened attempt ia last to regulate the
admission of aliens into this country
by scientific rule and on a logical
basis. That such a rule and such
basis should be established is not to-
be questioned. We may as well dis
miss all talk about America being an
asylum and a refuge for the oppressed.
! That was once true. 1t is still true,
and will always, we trust, be true
whenever there is need of it. But as a
matter of fact there is no longer need
of it to any considerable degree, nor
is this country thus regarded by one
tenth of l per cent of those who flock
hither. Immigrants come to America
for practical business reasons, to bet
ter their material condition, and we
receive them for equally practically
! business reasons, because we need
their labor The whole process should
therefore be regulated by the law of
! supply and demand, according to
sound economic principles, and since
the right of discrimination in the re-
l -ception of aliens is one of the most
: elemental and fundamental rights of a
) sovereign state, this nation should in
+ justice to itself substitute strict sys-
tenn of selective immigration in place
= of the indiscriminate and unlimited
immigration which has hitherto pre-
t vailed.
j. The plan of Senator Dillingham; is
e simple and would have some admirable
S results. Its essential principle is the
o limitation of the influx in one year
S from any country to a number not ex-
e ceeding 5 per cent of the total num-
y Der of that country already domiciled
here. That would permit from some
lt countries an increase of immigration
e over the recent annual average and
1T would compel a decrease from others.
ID Moreover, to a certain extent the in
'e crease would be from desirable ma
A tionalities, and the decrease from un-
IS desirable ones. True, that rule would
20 not invariably prevail. Thus, immi-
er grafton from Belgium would be re-
duced about so per cent, and that from
France and The Netherlands would
n also be reduced. Those, however, are
Il negligible circumstances, because i'm
ne migration from those countries is anC
nd doubtless would always be small. On
the other hand, there would be per
mitted very considerable increase o
immigration from the three Scandi
I'D navian countries, from Switzerland
and from the United Kingdom. Their
ay would be permitted very considerable
IN increase from Germany. From all tn
ge countries thus named, of northwestern
Ike Europe, there would be a permissibl
IN increase from an average of 1872 $50 i
I'LL the few years before the war, to 337
es- 6O2.
Gu Turning to southern and eastern Eu
~ roe and Turkey and Asia, from whic
'ee regions the less desirable part of on
vi immigration comes, there would be
III very marked decrease from ever
IL country save Rumania, from whic
'"e there would be an increase, but frol
u which immigration is very small. In
,'e migration from Austria and Hungar,
" Italy and Russia, whence the vast bul
me of immigration recently came, woul
Els be reduced to little more than on,
VI" third of its former numbers. The tot;
ieu permitted influx from all the cou1
10 tries in question, including Austri
~ and Hungary, the Balkan state
-" Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, Ri
= Eau mania, Russia and Turkey in EuroE
'ne and in Asia would be decreased from
Gu former average of 738, 607 to 256, 46
'oi Thus the total immigration from a
ere Europe and Turkey and Asia would |
ecu decreased from an average of 921 Al
ei in the five years, 1910-1914 to 594,07
a q, The law would not, by the way, app
. :, to countries in the western hem
Tie sphere.
on -.
i+h Of course, there can be no certain
that the countries would all fill Il
lo4 quotas to which they were entitle
90 1t is probable, however, that tn,
-; would do so to such an extent as
- supply all the real needs of this cou
-. try, especially since the average qua
~ ity would be better than hitherto. T
on ratio of per cent, moreover, is n
-. immutable. Possibly a larger
80 smaller percentage would be prefe
NOD able, though 5 per cent seems pra
ime 800 ~ WIN ou' wen. NaCurai
Coo for the sake of impartiality, the sar
- | nfic h,