The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1922-02-20
PASSPORTS MAY
Be ABOLISHED
European Countries Will Dis
continue Passports-U.
S. Retains Them.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20. The
passing of the passport is gradually
being brought about in response to
4 growing disposition on the part
of the nations to get rid of burden
some wartime regulations of travel.
Persons prominent in diplomatic af-
llfairs here unhesitatingly predict as
Il consequence the time is not far
distant when tourists may girdle the
the days before 1914.
The agitation for a removal of the
necessity for consular visas upon
passports and letting down of the
bars in border regulations had its
inception and strongest backing
among the business men of all ma
tons. Restrictions upon travel have
reacted upon the commercial life of
those nations accustomed to gather
large yearly harvests from the well
filed pockets of foreign visitors, it
was pointed out; and that reaction
I TO- the pinch of wartime necessity
is likely to carry the pendulum of
travel restrictions back to it's old
position.
Belgium was the first to ease the
restrictions upon travel imposed at
the beginning OF. the war, Con-
vinced that the necessity for rigid
examination of visitors was at an
end with the coming of peace, the
! BEussels government so modified it's
restrictions that persons passing
through Belgium enroute to other
countries. and persons intending to
visit Belgium for a period not great
ar than so days might do so without
credentials. That move was follow
ed by agitation in Switzerland for
similar letting down of the bars,
md the recent action of Switzerland
IN granting permission for visitors
20 enter the country without pass
port restrictions is believed to be in
1icative of the trend of thought in
virtually all the other European
countries.
The position of the United States
Is somewhat different from that of
It's sister nations, it is explained by
officials of the State Department.
Americas restrictions on immigra-
ion make it vitality important that
he influx be carefully sorted at its
point of origin, it is said, and for
hat reason all persons intending to
enter this country must appear be-
tore an American consul and have
their passports approved with visa.
BY so doing, the prospective immi-
grant is spared trip to this country
and his return home without being
allowed to land because the quota of
nationals of his particular country
allowed to enter America under the
new immigration law had been filled
| before the immigrants arrival here.
| rhe provision for culling immigrants
broad was laid down by Congress
IN an effort to facilitate operation
If the immigration laws, and there
s little prospect that the rigid rule
'equirng passport visas will be re-
:cinded, it is said.
Other nations adopted the custom
If requiring visas On passports
SHOItly d1lcT tHc American law WCHt
into effect, but their action was
| rather in the nature of a retalia-
| ion for what was believed to be an
undue hardship imposed on their
objects by the American regulation,
it is said, and sentiment abroad Is
veering to the belief that that re-
taliation has not paid and 1t would
be well to make travel as conven-
| mt for visitors American and
)thers-as possible. The action Of
Belgium and Switzerland was cited
support of that belief, in as much
| IS those two countries decided to
remove restrictions from American
| travellers without demanding a re-
ciprocal arrangement in this
| COUNTRY.
|
Furniture moved and stored.