Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-04-29
Able ADDRESS
ON IMMIGRATION
BY T.C. RISLEY
Restrictions Made Since
World War Told by
Speaker
URGES ASSIMILATION
Says Immigrants VIII Never Become
Real Americans Till They Learn to
Speak and Read English

Theodore G. Risley, solicitor and
acting secretary OF the Department
Of Labor, whose home is in Mount
{ Carmel. III . in an address on "Immi-
grafton" delivered under the auspices
'of the Cameron Club last night in the
, Young Peoples building, presided,
over by Miss Helen y. Cummings,
president Of the club. declared that
! since 1920 there had come to the
Shors of the United States 35000.0 900
million foreigners and 1920 10 1920
no record was kept of the immigrants
Just as the number Of immigrants
! have increased the birth rate he said
has decreased with the native people.
In New York aiXtv-one per cent
Of all children born were Of foreign
parents and in the state of Rhode
Island last year seventy-throe per
cent Of all the children born were of
foreign parents. In the New Eng
land states today he said there are
more children of foreign parents than
there are Of native born parents.
The beginning of the war said Mr..
RiSley created new order Of things
up to 1888 or 1885 the great mass of
immigrants were form Scandinavia
and the British Isles and these immi-
grants went largely to the farms and
brought their families with them
Since then ho said the trend Of i'm
migratio" turned 70 the south and
east Of Europe and now has turned
to Asia. The old immigrants brought
with them St7 per captia and the new
immigrants bring $l5 per capita.
According 10 MIR Risley the new inn
migrants are sending back home an
average or si00,000,000 q year ard
after remaining in this country a
certain period they return 10 their
native land The old immigrants
came largely be said TO aspire liberty
and the later day immigrants he said
come as a rule purely a. a commercial
proposition The address Of Mr..
RiSley was an able and interesting
one and on motion Of Miss Cummings
a rising vote Of hanks was tender
ed him.
At the close Of the war Mr.. Risley
said the American people began to
realize that immigrants probably
would como TO this country by the mill
lions. and this he declared would have
been unfair 10 let that great tide Of
humanity in aS before the war thew
were coming at the rate Of 100000
a year. Under the new regulations
he said i was decided 70 allow only
3 per cent Of the number from each
country that immgrated to this coun-
try in 1910 and this he declared means
about 100000 a wear. In his ouinion
ten million would have come had not
the bars been put up.
The speaker told of The process the
immigrants have to go through and
he denied that the department de-
porting immigrants treats them
he enforced for the protection of our
peoplo TIc deuictei heart rend-
ing scenes incident 20 denortation.
The tide Of immigration h. said has
turned this country from an aglicul-
tural one 10 p great manufacturing
country AZ 'hrec fourths of tho work
crS in the mills in the new England
stat"s arc of foreign birth.
The sneaker urged that the welfare
workers moet thc Immigrants and ey-
tend 20 them q welcome hand on their
arrival in this country n he said the
first impression, are he most last
ing. The worl, of Amcr'canizin" them
h" said could not be- done in q dav.
He urged that The American people
cndcavor 10 pei he FOREIGNERS ~ as