Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-06-17

consequences 10 tue AHlSlAS"H Pep
Religiously they are believers IN
Roman and Greek Catholicism, Mo-
hammedanism, Buddhism and nun
dreds of other beliefs.
The languages are Swedish, Dutcn'
English, German, Slavic, French,
Italian, Spanish, Polish, Greek n
many others. There are over S,5OO'OOO
persons in America who cannot e
an American document or newspaper
Now. we do not ask the immigrant
to forget his native tongue, but we
do want him to know our own English
language.
Immigrants have a tendency to con-
gest into groups instead of separating
and going throughout the country.
They stay mostly in cities where they
can secure employment as unskilled
labor.
The homes in the congested immi-
grant section are frequently unhealth-
full. and more than anything else we
fear the lowering of American ideals
and standards of living.
The recent immigrants of southern
Europe are very different from native
Americans, and from the earlier rep
resentatives of northern Europe who
we're almost like us in regard to Ian
guage, religion and ideals of govern
ment.
We did not protest against them
when they came, but now we do pro-
test against those who come to this
country whose habits and manner of
life tear down the standards of Ameri-
can life and whose traits Of character,
low order of intelligence, and inferior
standards of life renders it impossible
for them, even if they had the desire,
to maintain the highest ideals OF
American morality and citizenship.
The report supplied by the State
| Department shows that in certain
European countries there were certain
numbers Of people, not regarded as de-
sirable citizens in their own commu-
mites, awaiting transportation to the
United States with the aid or o
agement of the government which
could well spare them.
If we should, within the next two or
three years, bring several millions of
these non-English speaking aliens to
this country the temporary results
would be disappointing, while the per-
manent consequences might be Sc
riously harmful.
There is a rather widespread notion
in Europe and in parts of Asia that
the United States is a prosperous and
highly favored country that really be-
longs to everybody, and that it is the
inherent right of people of all nations,
races, and tongues to come and go
freely, so far as America is concerned.
They admit that Italy may properly
be run for the best interests of Ital-
ians; that Russia may justly be re-
garded as having a Russian destiny;
that Germany in spite of deserved de-
feat will doubtless remain German;
and that Roumania will not change it's
national character.
But it does not seem to be the gen.
eral opinion abroad that America is
the home of Americans, who are justi-
fled in desiring to keep the country
moving along recognized lines of po-
litical, economic and social progress.
They think of America as interracial.
The outbreak of the great wal in
Europe revealed to us the extent to
which we had been giving hospitality
to immense masses of unassimulated
European population.
HnndraIc 0f k10,,co~J. 30 G1-1.o--
went back to fight in the war, which
in due time involved us; and other
hundreds of thousands went back to
Austria, while a great number re-
turned to Russia, many of whom have
helped to sustain the Bolshevist con-
lions as our own.
There has been aroused here a
strong feeling that we, as Americans,
have also a right to maintain our Ian
guage and u American destiny.
Thus it became the general opinion
in the United States that our immi-
grafton policy had been reckless and
unwise, and that in a variety of ways
it had subjected us to harm and loss.
There became evident in this country
a very vigorous movement in favor of
a complete shutting down of immigra-
ton for a brief period. While the ar
guments in favor of complete sus-
pension were impressive, yet there
were many practical difficulties. Fami-
lies were seeking reunion, and the
closed door seemed too dark and for
bidding.
So~ciologists have been wont to speak
of America as the melting pot where
all nationalities were being fused into
a new race which would eventually
emerge containing the best of all
races.
This is truly an ideal for the ages.
but the melting pot melts slowly. We
must have faith that it will finally
amalgamate into a finished product.
T14.,-I IL