Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1921-04-21
LADIES DEBATE
ON IMMIGRATIO
MRS. WALTER FLIETH AND
MRS. MAGE SPOKE
ON MONDAY

Shall Immigration Be Restricted ~
was the subject under discussion last
i Monday afternoon at the regular
meeting of the Art and Literature de-
/ partment of the Ladies' Literary club.
/ held at the home of Mrs. William Os-
| borne, who was assisted as hostess by
| Mesdames Donald F. Ploss and Henry
Mckay. A group of ladies very much
| interested in the question, which at
| the present time is of vital national
interest, attended and following very
fine papers by Mrs. Walter H. FIieth.
affirmative, and Mrs. c. w. Magee, ne
gatiye, an active discussion took place.
A Challenge
"The immigration problem has al
ways been a most vital one to the
American people, and today it chaI-
lenges the gravest consideration of
every public-minded citizen" Mrs.
Flieth said "Excludable aliens are
being admitted in such large numbers
that within few years the penal in
situations and asylums for detectives
in New York state will be over-run.
The idealistic and sentimental cry
that we must make America the home
of all the oppressed of the earth in
yites the immigration of the odds and
ends now pouring through our gates.
A letter from an American Journalist
who has been visiting all the nations
of Europe reads For heavens sake
DO what you can to get some legisla-
ton which will prevent all the re-
fugees OF Europe from pouring into
America. There are all sorts of Boil
ChaNiKc in tIrn Aoff
Passport sharks are reaping fortune.
Forgers and tricksters are fixing all |
sorts of people with papers,
with 100000 unaturalized aliens
of whom 100000 can neither write
nor read, we have man size problem
already One in every four persons |
to land at Ellis Island can neither
read nor write in any language.
American liberty is dependent on
quality of citizenship. Our obligation |
is to maintain that citizenship at it's |
best. We must have nothing to do with |
those who would undermine it. Now
some may think there is a genuine
need for common labor and farm la
Dor but statistics show that the pre-
sent immigrant bears little indication
OF desire, inclination, experience or
fitness to meet that need The new
immigrant is not the kind or quality
to meet the real needs of this country.
Farm labor is skilled labor and it re-
quires generation to produce a sue
cessful farmer
Cannot Restrict
On the negative Mrs. Magee said in
part; When we make international
compacts we must observe it i'm its en-
tirety even though some of its clauses
are not to our liking. We cannot re-
strict immigration except as it in
wolves the reception of criminals or
paupers as prospective citizens. We
have laws to prevent unworthy per-
sons from coming here as immigrants ;
or otherwise, Our treaties cannot be |
broken without causing friction and &,
retaliation
mo country need fear too many
good men. What would we have
missed had not such immigrants as F.,
stephen Girard of France, John Erck-
son, builder of the Monitor from Swe-
len, Louis Agassiz from Switzerland
1arl SchurZ and Theodore Thomas
rom Germany, Andrew Carnegie from, .
Scotland, James j. Hill from Canada
md others come to America? There
ire classes of Pc ole who are not ac-
'eptable at any time, but where are
We going to draw the line? II our
avs are enforced against crime and
we need have little fear of /
competition in the field of {
abor: Let us see what factor the q
is in our modern life. He l
S represented in all the basic indus j
ries Of the country. For example, in /
ron and steel, sixty-nine per cent of {
he employees are foreign, born; in s
unanimous coal mining, sixty-one per s
ent; in WOODEN and worsted manu- |
acture sixty-one per cent; in oil re-
ming sfxty-six per cent and in sugar
etning, eighty-five per cent. /
The expansion OF industry has been
q, enormous that the demand for la
'or has increased at an extraordinary T
ate I'm closing I would like to quote / 1
Andrew Carnegie: Let the directors
o opening our gates to able bodied inn
Migrants of good character reflect
where our country would have been
Except for that invaluable element.
\ book review on AN American in |
he Making was given by Mrs. Chas.
Dodge Dainty and delicious refresh
nents were served the latter part of |
he a.fn prupon