The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-12-25

sad:
For nearly century following
the Revolutionary war; the United
States maintained an open door
policy with respect to immigration
and the doors were open to all clas-
SEES and conditions of men from
every cline. Throughout the CEN
fury more or less determined eff
fort was made to bring about some
restriction of the alien movement
into the country but until 1882 the
effort, were without result. The
year 1882, however, marked an i'm
pOrtant milestone in our immigra-
lion history foc then the first
Chinese exclusion law was adopted
and this was the beginning of what
j. apparently permanent law with
pect to Oriental immigration
In the same year the first general
immigration law was also enacted.
This provided for the exclusion
from rhe United States of four
classes of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in
sane people, criminals, other than
political criminals, and persons
likely to become public charge.
This general law has undergone
several reFisions until at the pre-
sent time there are some thirty
more or less distinct classes Of
aliens who are denied admission to
the country.
with the exception of the laws
relative to Orientals, however, all
Of the legislation has been selective
ather than restrictive and until
the enactment of the Dillingham;
ner centum limit law of May 80,
1921, no limit was set on the num-
Der Of Europeans who might come
to the United States, provided they
set the physical and other tests
which the law prescribed. The lit
eracy test, which was added to the
law in 1917, after q struggle which
had continued for a quarter of n
century, was primarily intended
as re trictive measure but OBJ
viously it could not be depended
upon to accomplish that end.
when the law of 1882 was en-
acted, approximately 85 p. c. of all
cur European immigration origin
ated in the United Kingdom, Sean
dinavia, Germany, Netherlands,
Belgium, Switzerland and France
and only about Is per cent came
from southern and eastern Europe.
In the 80 years which followed, a
remarkable change occurred in the
character of our European immi-
grafton and by 1907 the situation
vas practically reversed and about
81 per cent of those admitted hal
ed from southern and eastern Eu-
rope and only about Is per cent
from northern and eastern Europe.
The reasons for this change are
well established and need no dis
cussion but the change in the rae
ial character of the immigrants,
even more than the enormous num-
bers, has been the real basis of the
immigration problem during the
past twenty years. There were,
of course, objections on economic
grounds, and without doubt they
were well founded, but the appre-
hension with respect to unlimited
immigration was very largely bas-
ed or the fear that an unrestrict-
cd movement from southern and
eastern Europe would not only
permanently affect the character
OF the population, but would en-
danger the very institutions which
the fathers had established in the
new world. It is true, of course,
that the same fear prevailed during
the periods of enormous immigra-
ton from the so-called older sourc-
es, but as the earlier corners be-
came a~similated into the popula-
ton and We're widely scattered
throughout the country, they came
10 be regarded as genuine assets
rather than liabilities and for 40
years or more there has been little
or no objection to the coming of
what arc now generally referred
to as the Nordic stock.
Accordingly, the problem in
more recent years has been now to
materially check the movement
from southern and eastern Europe,
without unduly interfering with
that coming from the older sourc-
es The literacy test was primar-
lily intended for this purpose but,
as already pointed out, it could
not be depended upon to bring
about the desired results. Immi-
grafton, and particularly European
immigration, was practically at a
stand ill during the world wal
bat following the Armistice there
was every indication of an enor-
nous movement from the war
stricken and impoverished countries
TO the United States as war time
restrictions were removed and
travelling facilities were restored.
"Tkere was an Unmistakable call
for restriction, OF even suspension,
of oil European immigration and in
December, 1920, the House of Re-
presentatives responded by pass
ing a bill which practically shut off
all immigration for a period of II
months, and there were only 49