Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-31
NATlONSCATES
ARE Wide OPEN
TO IMMIGRANTS
Restrictive Law Passed By
\ Congress Fails Thru
Neglect
By Mark Sullivan.

Washington, d. c.. March 3o.-The
great bulk of the people are under
the impression that something dras-
tic was done by the recent congress
TO check immigration. The truth is
nothing whatever was done. In fact,
the net result of the last congress is
TO leave immigration under poten-
TALLY less check that at any time for
four years past.
act requiring every immigrant COM
ing to the United States to have his
passport vised by the United States
consulate at the point OF departure.
This was n war time measure, but it
was universally held desirable to eX-
shall be a thoro revision of our I'M
migration laws. Congress meant to
extend it but did not succeed salts
factorily.
on tn day preceding adjournment.
that is on March 2. congress passed
an amendment to the consular ap-
preparation extending this require
ment and appropriating $600,0oO to
carry 1t out II congress had done
this and nothing else its intention
would have been safely carried out
But the next day. in the haste of
closing. congress passed a conflicting
statute. This latter was measure
repeating all war time legislation
The conflict between the two mea-
sures Immediately raised question
and the two statutes were submitted
to the attorney general for n deci-
sion to which prevails.
In that inconclusive state tho mat
ter now stands. For the moment,
until a decision is made by the attor-
ney general, the state department Is
taking II for granted that the regula-
ton stands and is still requiring that
passports of immigration be vised.
What the public generally thinks IL
that drastic immigration restriction
hill was passed by the recent cong
ress. And so it waA But it was not
parsed until within ten days OF the
close of the session. That made 1t
possible for President Wilson to veto
IL by doing nothing about 1t And
nothing is exactly what Mr.. Wilson
did. EY -.
Various explanations arc given for
Mr.. Wilson's inactIon. Tho true one
IL that he submitted II for advice to
one of his cabinet officers, eecrctary
OF Labor Wilson. who has been ger
orally favorable to free Immigration.
and that he latter reported that the
bill would be difficult to carry out
and that. in his opinion. there is not
any need for restriction anyhow.
An additional explanation given
may be included under the general
description OF bills that die in the
meat tiphlNE NnAt II WAS istrt
in the shuttle" because the president
did not feel that he had time to giV
adequate consideration to II.
All the explanations come to the
same conclusions, namely. tAat the
bill which passed the senate by vote
OF Go TO and tho house by 29S to
40, was prevented from becoming
law by the presidents failure TO sign
1t.
immigration today stands exactly
where IL was before all the public
feeling arose which every one
thought was going to express itself
In a law. In the extent that 1t has
been changed at all. 1t has been
changed toward making II easier. be-
cause. II the attorney general inter
prcte the conflicting statutes in favor
OF the broader one. then We shall
have lost even that small safe guard
that lies in the passport require
ment-
The effort to be more careful about
immigration has overwhelming public
support Probably tho public atti-
tude on 1t is even stronger that the
house vote of seven to one. or tho
senate of thirty to one. The opposi-
ton to restricting immigration, as
shown In the hearings and In the de-
bates was practically confined to a
small but competent and effective
group OF large commercial interests.
and to the Hebrews. who are the