Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-05-11
THREE PER CENT; LAW
DESCRIBED BY HASklN

WASHINGTON. D. c., May B.
The United States is operating nde
an immigration law restricting the
number of immigrants from any
country to Q per cent. of the num-
Der of persons of that nationality
settled in this country at the time
of the m of 1910.
This law was essential following
the end of vhe war. With Europe
laid waste, poor, its money greatly
deprecated, with little outlook of
hope for millions of the poorer
classes, ir was known that these mill
lions would look to the western
world-the United States irst-as a
land of promise, where they might
live and work. But In such cases,
American citizens had to be looked
after first. Foreseeing the end of
the war boom robustness and manu-
featuring, the congress decided to
protect American labor from cheap
foreign competition.
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
comparatively lately, these appeals
have gone t. the Secretary of Labor.
Mr.. j. j. Davis. or the Assistant Sec
rotary of Labor, L. j. Henning. So
great has this volume of business be-
come. however, that a Board of Re-
view has been appointed, which
passes upon all such cases, recon-
mending the final action which still
rests In the hands of the executive
heads nf fhn 10 hnr dnnaTfn1an
This board is faced with a tremen-
dously hard and unpleasant set of
duties. Practically every appealed
alien case has behind it a dramatic.
pathetic, or tragic phase which cam
not help but make an appeal to any
one whose heart is not of granite.
But the sworn duty of this board
of review is protection of the
United States and its citizens. As in
any court of law, the single case be-
fore 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, 1t establishes a prece-
dent which lawyers would not be
slow to use to the utmost limits in
future similar Eases before the board.
The board Is faced with the neces-
sity of appearing, on occasion, to be
cold and heartless toward some alien
individual or family, but the under
lying reason is for the benefits of
hundreds of thousands of other in
dividuals 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 appeal are con-
Quoted 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 per-
fectly acceptable immigrants, is de-
fective mentally 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 a
family.
1t would be the easy way and the
way dictated by considerations OF hui
mality and compassion to let this
one alien remain. Also, il falls with
in the discretionary powers the Llw
gives to the secretary of labor. But
one decision Of this sort would bring
down upon the heads of the MEM
bers of the board of review an ava
lanche of similar cases, with the re-
proaehful fingers of the lawyers in
the cases pointing to this single de-
cision as a precedent which should
be followed.
Unfortunately for the peace OF
mind-of the labor department and
the board of review mot 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
c~retionary powers of the labor de-
partment do not extend so far that
utter disregard of the law may be
included. The offending steamship
lines now have to bea 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 for,
ward for years to coming TO thi,
land OF promise. unable to compre.
bend anything about the whole bust
mess. are sent back to the miscr,