Norwich bulletin., 1922-09-19
Humanity in Government
By James J. Davis, Secretary of Labor
 ON GUARD AT THE GATES

ON GUARD AT THE GATES
 Through the bureau of immigration. the department of labor functions to] guard the gates of America against the influx of a horde of aliens whose pres ence in the United States might menace the general welfare of our people. The opportunities which America offers to the individual are precious, and they should not be demeaned by placing them in un- worthy hands. The man or woman who comes to the United States from abroad must De af type mentally, morally and physically capable of approaching the advantages of life in the republic, and of taking the fullest measure of success, so- cialIy, economically and politically under our benercent Institutions. Americas 11O, 900 ,000 men, women and children owe it to themselves to see to it that only the worthy are permitted to take up their residence among us.
 At every immigrant station on the sea- board, along 5000 miles of Canadian boundary, and on the Mexican border, the officials of the bureau of immigration arc on guard. Their duty it is to test the worthiness of every alien who presents himself as a candidate for the high priv ilege of residing fin the Unfeed States The tests imposed are fixed by law. In
 
 whose physical condition might irnperil the national heslth, those whose moral conduct might offend or contarninate the morals of the community, those who preach the downfall of the American sys- tenn of government. and finally those who by reason of the different economic stan dards under which they have lived would. if permitted to enter in unrestricted num- bers, reduce the standard of living of the American wage earner. Here the depart ment of labor is again in full pursuit of l it's high purpose, the promotion of the welfare of the man and woman who l works in America. Under the law no 1 employer may engage cheap workers in Europe, at the low European wages, and bring them to America to compete with or displace American labor working at ! American wages and maintaining the 1 American standard of living. Upon one condition employers may import skilled 1 labor. They must establish that such labor. unemployed, cannot be found in
 the United States.
 The immigration statutes bar aliens 1 over 16 years of age who are unable to ! read in some language or diaIect This test of literacy. and the provisions which exclude the feeble minded and the insane 1 are the only provisions which prescribe l mental standards for these future Amer. 1 jeans. Special laws exclude Chinese la.
 borers and aliens from certain defined
 sections of Asia.
 I With the close of the World war Amer.
 ica faced veritable floor of immigrant l seeking refuge from the conditions in the war-torn countries of Europe and the Near East. Congress to stem the tide | passed a law limiting the immigrant. from any foreign country to per cent
 of the foreign born persons of each na
 tionality resident in the United States il J 1910. Under this law, the United Statei has checked the stream of aliens fiowint
 to this country arbitrarily pending tn,
 framing of a policy under which only tn best of those applying for admission vii be allowed to enter. In the first year O
 it's operation the 3 per cent. law cut dowl
 the number of foreigners admitted b,
 more than half million.
 Nearly 100000 foreigners, represent ing every element in the tangled popula
 tions of the old world and every rac
 under the sun. sought admission to Arner 5 ica in the year before the percentage la1