Evening star., 1921-06-18
Editorial Digest
Immigrants on immigration.

Diverse as have been the sentiments
of immigrants in this country on the
matter of limiting further immigra-
stantial accord on the manner in which,
aliens should and should not be treat
ed after they settle here. This con-
clusion is drawn from a reveiw OF
editorial discussion in the foreign
language press Of the johnson bill for
regulating aliens. The proposed legts-
lation deals chiefly with distribution.
education. and other "Americanizing'
activities. While these features of the
bill are discussed editorially in a luke
warm tone which suggests doubt as
to it's necessity or effectiveness, they
are at least regarded as unobjection-
able and are not opposed by the Tor
e1gn press, are, in fact, even warmly
supported in some editorial columns.
notably in the Italian Bollettino Della
Sera lNew York city, republican,.
However. the bill goes further, and
contains a provision requiring aliens
resident in this country to appear pc
fore a federal officer for registration
each year that he remains unnatural.
lied. An annual registration fee OF ~
is charged, and a fine of $25 is i'm
posed for failure to comply with the
law. This proposal Is severely con-
demned In representative papers OF an
alien groups, and its elimination from
the bill is demanded.
The Italian press is keenly vigilant
and is rallying it's people to the de-
feat of the measure. The Giornale
Italiano (New York city. republican,
declares it's purpose ito point out the
real aim" Of a proposal designed nt TO TO
America unbearable." The govern
ment has every right, II Risveglio
(Dcnver. democratic) freely comedies
ito guard against foreign reaction
ary elements which threaten the So
stability of its Institutions but 1t
has no right to Classify" those who
come here. ito count them and tag
them like beasts of burden"
Haven, republican, recognizes that
the government is faced by stub
born problem, and it grants the good
intentions of the Johnson proposal.
Nevertheless it fears that in practi-
cal operation the alien register would
immigrants. but to terroriZe ana
Danish them"
This apprehension is the key to the
foreigners opposition to the scheme,
(New York city, republican,. is ia
miliar to those Of US who hail from
Germany and what was Austria
Hungary" This latest item of the
evidence by which our rulers en-.
deavor to prove that this is the land
of the free" will. in the opinion, OF
this paper. probably demonstrate that
they are mistaken who believe that
the endurance of the immigrant Is
limitless."
There seems to be no limit. the
Jewish Gazette (New York city. re-
publican) concludes. to the wild
hunt Of dark forces" after aliens
Under the arrangement contemplated
in the Johnson bill the aliens in TINS
country would get a sort OF yellow
ticket" which would admit him only
to "a separate class, class OUTSIDE
of equality"
The stigma would go even deeper
thinks the Danish Danske Pioneer
tOmaha, republican,, since such a
registration system puts the fmmi-
grants on a level with criminals who
are set free on probation" Indeed,
the released criminal is more for
tunately situated" the Norwegian
Scandinavian (Chicago). republican.
adds, because 1.-The criminal is not re-
qufred to pay anything for reporting
to the authorities. while the lmmi-
grant must pay 81 every time he re-
ports and s25 when he forgets to re-
port" an arrangeme which most
certainly contributes in high degree
to stimulating the loyalty OF the I'M
migrant. which is supposed to be
the object of the bill"
As most writer's interpret the plan,
it's real aim is. as the German Buffalo
Volk- -Freund expresses it. to exercise
control over the Immigrants ana
their families" through "a sort OF su-
sar-coated police. supervision: I'm
der this "official observation" aliens
will be made to "stoop lower and low.
er under the burden of exploitation
the Jewish socialist Die Zeit OF New
York predicts The establishment OF
a .Polizeisystem' is frankly the OBJ
ject in view. the Ukrainian Narodna
VIOLA (Scranton, Ind.) maintains. ana
while government by intimidation
has never appealed to the Anglo
saxon civilization, this paper has lit
tie doubt that that object will be at
tanned because OF apathy and indlt-
ference on the part of Americans
Granting that naturally a measure
Of this character might in certain in
stances seem oppressive" nevertheless
the Norwegian Nordisk Tidende
brooklyn. republican, considers that
it's effect will be beneficial because
it will act as a spur to citizenship.
since thousands Of immigrants, with
out good reasons, remain here Tor
wears without becoming naturalized.
the writer feels that it would be "a
good thing" II the irritation caused oy
compulsory annual registration would
cause these negligent aliens Ito shake
off their indifference and lead them to
take the necessary steps to become
citjzenS"