Arizona republican., 1922-05-12
RY Erederic ]. Haskin

WASHINGTON, May II - The
United States is operating under an
immigration law restricting the num-
ber of immigrants from any country
to per cent of the number of per-
sons of that nationality settled in
this country at the time Of the census
of 1910.
This law was essential following
the end of the war. With Europe
laid waste, poor. It's money greatly
deprecated, with little outlook of
hope for millions OF the poorer class
es, it was known that these millions
would look to the western world
the United States first-as land
of promise. where they might live
and work. But in such cases, Amer
lean citizens had to be looked after
first Foreseeing the end of the war
boom to business and manufacturing,
congress decided to protect American
labor from cheap foreign competi-
tion
A law of this sort, naturally hits
hard in individual cases. Excluded
aliens. or those ordered deported,
may appeal from these orders in
many cases, the appeal being made
to the labor department. Until COM
paratively lately. these appeals have
gone to the secretary of labor. ]. j.
Davis, or the assistant secretary of
labor, Z. J. Henn1ng. So great has
this volume of business become, how
ever, that a board of review has been
appointed which passes upon all
such cases. recommending the final
action which still rests in the hands
of the executive heads Of the labor
department.
This board is raced with tre-
mendously hard and unpleasant set
of duties. Practically every ap-
pealed alien case has behind it a
dramatic, pathetic, or tragic phase
which cannot help but make an ap-
peal to anyone whose heart is not of
granite. But the sworn duty Of this
board of review in protection of the
United States and its citizens. AS
in any court of law, the single case
before the board is not the sole con-
sideration. If a point or two is
stretched here and there, while it
may be and usually is the humane
course to take. it establishes a pre-
cedent which lawyers would not be
slow to use to the utmost limits in
future similar cases before the board.
The board is faced with the neces-
sity of appearing, on occassion, to be
individual or family, but the under
lying reason is for the benefit of hun
dreds of thousands of other indi-
viduals and families.
Propaganda Is Used
The present immigration statute
has been the target of propaganda
by special racial interests which have
been hard hit by it. Also, many of
the cases of appear are conducted by
lawyers. SO often lawyers will make
a heart stirring appeal to allow some
alien. ordered deported to remain in
this country. The order has been
issued because the alien, who may be
one of a family of perfectly accept
able immigrants. is defective mental
ly or physically. 1T is easy for a
lawyer to dwell upon, the undisputed
fact that the hundred million odd
people of the United States are not
going to be harmed by admitting this
one manor boy or girl-and thus
prevent misery and heartache in
breaking up family.
1t would be the easy way and the
way dictated by considerations of
humanity and compassion to let this
one alien remain. Also. it falls with
III the discretionary powers the law
gives to the secretary of labor. But
one decision of this sort would bring
down upon the heads of the members
of the board of review an avalanche
of similar cases, with the reproach-
full fingers of the lawyers in the cases
pointing to this single decision as a
precedent which should be followed.
Unfortunately for the peace of
mind of the labor department and
the board of review, not all of the
steamship companies have tried hard
TO assist in carrying out the law.
Aliens in excess of national quotas
have been brought in. These poor
people must be sent back. The dis
cretionary powers of the labor de-
partment do not extend SO far that
utter disregard of the law may be in
cluded. The offending steamship
lines now have to hear the expense
of carrying these bewildered people
back to their starting point. The
Saddest feature Of the whole thing,
perhaps, is the fact that these help
less people, who have looked forward
for years to coming to this land of
promise, unable to comprehend any
thing about the whole business, are
sent back to the misery they have
tried and failed to leave behind them.
The steamship companies were
greater offenders under old immigra :
tion laws than they are at present.
That is because under the so called
''3 per cent law the fine for bring
ing to this country every alien GER
tain to be turned back is the sum of
$500. Under the old law the fine was
only 500, and the steamship line