Evening star., 1921-02-24
Editorial Digest
An S. O. S. From Ellis Island.

When it was discovered that, de-
spite the restrictions of Ellis Island
typhus germs from Europe were slip
ping past the immigration officials, a
new discussion of the immigration
! problem began in the columns of the
country's newspapers. Many voices
are now being raised in bitter denun-
! citation of congressional delay" which
is permitting the old world flood to
pour into our gates unhindered while
! the Legislators discuss future policies.
BY no means all the writers are IN
| favor of permanent exclusion. and
! there is little agreement as to what
) the basis of restriction shall be.
! While many newspapers grant that
the Johnson bill. temporary meas
ure, is far from perfect. they regret
its rejection at this time. as the M
dianapolis News Gndependent puts
! it. while the Senate is pettifogging
with percentages" steamships load
! ed with immigrants. and also with
! typhus, smallpox and the bubonic
plague are steaming toward our
| dependenD says that as the aliens
crowd into our city slums "bolshe-
vism, radicalism and unrest" increase,
while our vast fields and prairies arc
calling for workers to till them
| Already the opponents of "restric-
tive legislation have been able to
| accomplish their Immediate purpose
! because of this delay. says the
] Charleston News and Courier demo
icratic). Public opinion may be suf-
! fciently awakened. it suggests, by the
! presence of typhus. to demand action,
| but unless it is we are going to de-
/ nationaliZe the country and alter dis
astrously the character of the Amer
fican people
! Not permanent exclusion. however,
lis the present demand, urges the
! Grand Rapids Herald republican,,
but permanent policy" selection
and sitting. The Minneapolis Jour-
nal Gndependent republican,, largely
| in agreement with this viewpoint. ex-
| plains that "a temporary cessation of
| immi grafton would not only be of
benefit toward framing permanent
policy. but would aid in restoring eco
nomic balance" as well.
| Discussion of the methods by which
i the problem can be solved has
/ brought forth a number Of diverging
views, but selection at the home
ports is urged by many. Says the
Wilmington On. c. Star (democratic) :
fed by the establishment of Ameri-
can immigration bureaus at suitable
| European points, with provision for
the most thorough examination of
| prospective immigrants, not only as
to health. but with respect to what
ever qualifications may be set up by
( the American government"
! The importance of selection on the
other side is emphasized by the Cleve-
land Plain Dealer independent demo-
pense, and unhappiness involved in
| turning back the undesirable. For
eign governments, it adds. ARE now
said to be willing to cooperate with
| the United States in such an un-
| dertaking." This arrangement, the
Houston Post fdemocratic) continues,
would Furthermore disseminate "a
wider knowledge of the requirements
/ for admission, and all immigra ton
would be along more orderly and sys-
| tematic lines
The relative merits Of the plan for
restricting each racial group to a GER
tain percentage of that race already
| in the country is also widely comment
ed upon. The Louisville Courier-Jour-
, nal tdemocratic) opposes it. 1.-THE
alien influences already in America.
For example. in 1910 there were ap-
proximately 100000 Germans in
America The senatorial plan is to
admit annually 5 per cent of this num-
Der, or 12j,000. 1t can be seen that
many racial groups which have become
TOO dangerously large may readily be-
come larger. while if a great many
Frefchmen decided to emigrate they
would be automatically barred The
main fault of the bill, however, is that
1t ignores the rule that it is. the in
dividual, not the race, who should be
tested for fitness"
In the opinion of the New >York
Post Independently, SO far, the sum
total OF discussion has brought forth
simply emergency measures that do
not emerge" for fear of an alien flood
IS based upon guesswork as to how
| European conditions will affect fmmi-
grafton. But we are not yet in a posi-.
ton to say what Europe will do"