The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-22
PASSPORT MAY
 BE ABOLISHED
 IN EUROPE SOON
Diplomatic Officers See Early Approach of Day When
 Persons May GirdIe
 Globe Unhampered
By Associated Presa

Washington January 21.-The passing of the passport is gradually being brought about in response to a growing disposition on the part of the nations to get rid of burdensome wartime regulations of travel. Per sons prominent in diplomatic affairs here unhesitatingly predict that as a consequence the time is not far distant when tourists may girdle the globe virtually as unhampered as in E the days before 1914.
 The agitation for removal of the necessity for consular vises &non passports and a letting down of the bars in border regulations had it's inception and strongest backing among the business men of all na- uons. Restrictions upon travel have reacted upon the commercial life of those nations accustomed to gather large yearly harvests from the well filled pockets of foreign visitors, 1t was pointed out; and that reaction to the pinch of wartime necessity Is likely to carry the pendulum of tray ell restrictions back to its old posi- ton.
 Belgium First to Act
 Belgium was the first to ease the restrictions upon travel imposed at the beginning of the war. Convinced that the necessity for rigid examina- : ton of visitors was at an end with tRe coming of peace, the Brussels government so modified it's restric- tions that persons passing through Belgium on route to other countries, and persons intending to visit Bel gium for period not greater than 90 days might do so without creden- tials. That move was followed by agitation in Switzerland for similar letting down of the bars, and the re- cent action of Switzerland in grant ing permission for visitors to enter the country without passport re- strictions is believed to be indica- tive of the trend of thought in vir- tually all the other European coun- tries.
 U. s. Position Differs
 The position of the United States is somewhat different from that of its sister nations, 1t Is explained by officials of the state department Americas restrictions on immigration make it vitally important that the influx be carefully sorted at it's point of origin, 1t Is said. and for that reason all persons intending to enter this country must appear before an American consul and have their P1SSPoAtS dPplONtu WllH d FlSa. by so doing, the prospective immi grant is spared a trip to this country and his return home without being al lowed 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. The provision for culling immigrants abroad was laid down by Congress in an effort to facilitate operation of the immigration laws, and there Is little prospect that the rigid rule re- quiring passport yises will be re- scinded, 1t is said.
 Merely Retaliation
 Other nations adopted the custom of requiring vises on passports short ly after the American law went into effect, but their action was rather in the nature of a retaliation for what was believed to be an undue hardship imposed on their subjects by the American regulation. it Is said, and sentiment abroad is veer- ing to the belief that that retalia- tion has not paid, and it would be well to make travel as convenient for visitors--American and others-as possible. The action of Belgium and Switzerland was cited in support of that belief, inasmuch as those two countries decided to remove restric- tions from American travellers with out demanding a reciprocal arrange ment in this country.