Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-31
o AT
OUR DOORS

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! partment of state are being
besieged by Americans and others
earnestly urging that thousands of
Armenian refugees from the
Smyrna district be admitted to the
United States. Three bills are
pending in congress to authorize
the admission Of these unfortunate
persons, such legislation being nee
essary in view of the fact that the
existing immigration law provides
only for certain fixed quotas. The
quota for this year has been ex-
hausted and, therefore, to admit
more Armenians, whether refugees
or others. is not possible without
legislative relief.
Whatever decision is reached by
the president or whatever action is
taken by congress, SO far as the
United States is concerned, it is
certain that most Of the Armenian
refugees will leave their country,
as arrangements are being sought
whereby some Of them may 60 to
South American countries.
The point of supreme interest is
that history, defying all modern
development, persists in repeating
itself and bringing about great ma
tional migrations and flights. says
Frederic J. Haskin.
The movement of whole peo-
pies. as the result of military or
economic emergencies, seemed up
until the war to have been a phe-
omenon of earlier times unlikely
to affect modern nations. Iron
ically, this century has turned back
to the most ancient of national ex-
igencies-the migration.
The Bible tells of important mi
grations of whole peoples; one in
particular Of special Importance to
students of religious history-the
migration in search of the land OF
Canaan. In later centuries migra-
tons were not infrequent.
Rome was conquered merely by
the weight of vast migrations OF
barbarians. In the first place these
were merely raiding tribes seeking
fresher pastures, but the later tre-
mendous foundations resulted from,
the stern necessities of war. The
Chinese in the Far East defeated
the Huns and the Vandals and in
flight they came streaming down
into the Roman territories. They
were more numerous than the Ar
menians and they did not stop to
ask any governments permission as
the Armenians are doing. But it is
certain that if the Armenians were
more numerous, they would not
stop for permission or passports
but would overrun neighPorlng
countries and even come to the
United States if they could get
ships to transport them.
Nearly every principal migration
has been the result of just such an
overwhelming defeat and massa-
ere as that inflicted on the Ar
menians at Smyrna. The defeated
people, fleeing from homes from
which they have been routed, turn
by necessity into conquerors, dis
placing somebody else or crowding
into a country along with the oc-
cupying inhabitants. The Moors
migrated into Spain under military
pressure and in turn the Spanish
finally created enough pressure to
drive the Moors out again.
The end of the European wal
brought some astonishing migra-
tons. They have not been quite so
much en- masse as some of the
earlier movements, o even SO
much so as the proposed migration
of Armenians. However, as soon
as the armistice let down the bars
to free movement, thousands OF
Austrians and Germans fled from
their native lands and sought new
homes. American immigration laws
were more lax than they are now,
lust after the armistice. The pres
emit restrictive law was passed III
order to keep out the Europeans
who were coming at the rate OF a
million a year to our shores.
While there was no immediate
military compulsion before which
they fled, there was an economic
pressure, which often is just as
strong. The peoples of the forme'
enemy empires foresaw that thu
postwar years would bring a pc
Rod of high taxes and hard living
Such a condition was what 'he3
fled from. Not only did they con'
ry-:4~d Gates hit TO SOutf