The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1921-07-18

consular inspectors would have
authority to refuse visas TO persons
who could not meet the require
ments of the immigration laws, and
thus would effectuate a selection
winch would admit only the most
desirable classes out of the mil
lions now struggling to reach our
shores. Such classes the United
States always will welcome"
"Whlle the proposed act calls
for no cooperation or assistance
from foreign governments" said
Mr.. johnson, 81 am sure that all
governments will be glad of its
enactment, and will assist wher-
ever possible in its administration,
because of its humanitarian object,
that of deciding the question of
admission or rejection of an lmml-
grant before the latter sets sail
for America. We shall operate the
machinery of the new law within
our own consulates, but we shall
welcome the sympathetic cooper
alton of the governments from
which our immigrants are drawn,
Mr.. Johnson called attention TO
statement approving the select
i've immigration bill by Surgeon
General Hugh Cumming, OF the Z.
s. Public Health Service, who said;
al have been more or less d.
rectly connected with the medical
side of inspection of would-be i'm
migrants for about twenty-five
years in this country, in Asia, and
in various parts of Europe, and
have for a long time thought that
such step as is proposed IN TINS
bill is the proper method of safe
guarding the country. and at the
same time. protecting the rights OF
the would-be immigrants. ] have
seen many very pathetic cases in
which the heads of families have
sold all of their belongings in the
old country to come to some port,
and have travelled all the way to
this country only to be TUNED
back at our gates"
Commissioner General of Immi-
grafton Husband briefly reviewed
the Johnson bill in an interview
with your correspondent. He said
an some respects the Johnson bill
looks good. 1t provides for the
examination abroad of would-be
immigrants, which is something
that has been widely demanded.
1t provides, however, for some
thing else, and that is the per
petuation of the present passport
system, and | am in grave doubt
about the wisdom of requiring i'm
migrants to obtain passports from
their own countriea. Ny reason
is that the system places it in the
power of foreign governments 20
prevent from coming to this coun-
try those classes Of immigrants
whom we want to have come, and
enables them to facilitate the com
ing over of those whom we do not
desire. Some foreign governments
are Numerically opposed to our
immigration policy; they want to
keep at home the best of their
citizens and send US the least de,-
irable.
aside from this feature the
bill, if it can be worked, is a good
idea, although it is by no means
new. Whether it would do all that
some think is doubtful, however.
An immigrant is desirable or UNI
desirable largely in accordance
with the situation he finds himself
in when he comes here. This sit |
uation involves the question Of his
relatives here, what he expects TO
do when he arrives, etc. Take for
instances a man who may be SUI |
fering from hernia. He would be
deba1Ted under his examination
abroad, and yet under certain cir
cumstances he would be perfectly |
able to take care of himself over
here, say for example, if he We're !
q tailor.
again, if the examination on