The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-05-11

WASHINGTON, D. G. May 1.-THE
United States is operating under an
immigration law restricting the num-
Der of immigrants from any country
to three per cent of the number of
persons of that nationality settled in
| this country at the time of the census
of 1910.
| This law was essential following the
war. With Europe laid to waste, poor,
| its money, greatly deprecated, with
| little outlook of hope for millions of
| the poorer classes, it was known that
| these millions would flock to the west
| ern world-the United States first-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 to business and manufac-
| turing, the congress decided to pro-
| tect American labor from cheap for
eign 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 comparative
| ly lately, these appeals have gone TO
| the secretary Of labor, Mr.. ]. ]. Davis,
or the assistant secretary of labor,
| Mr., E. J. Henning. So great has tnls
volume of business become, however,
| that a board of review has been ap-
pointed, which passes upon all sucn
| cases, recommending the final action
which still rests in the hands or the
executive heads of the labor depart
ment.
j This board is faced with tremen-
dously hard and unpleasant set OF
duties. Practically every Appeared
alien case has behind it dramatic,
pathetic or tragic phase which cannot
helm but make an appeal to anyone
whose heart is not of granite. But the
sworn duty of this board of review is
protection of the United States ana
! its citizens. AS In any court OF law
F, the single case before the board is
not the sole consideration II a point
or two Is stretched here and there,
while it may be and usually is tne
humane course to take, 1t estaDnsnes
precedent which lawyers would not
be slow to use to the utmost limits IN
similar future cases before the Doaro.
The board is faced with the necessity
of aupearing, on occasion, to be cold
and heartless toward some alien 1ndi-
vidual or family, but the underlying
reason is for the benefit of hundreds
of thousands of other individuals ana
| their families.
PROPAGANDA Is Used.
The present immigration statute
has been the target of propaganda py
special racial interests which nave
been hit hard by it. Also, many OF
the cases are conducted by lawyers
So often lawyers will make soul
stirring appeal to allow some alien
ordered deported, to remain IN thls
country. The order has been issued
because the alien, who may be Oh a
family of perfectly acceptable lmml-
grants, is defective mentally or phys
ically. 1t is easy for lawyer TO
dwell upon the undisputed fact tnat
the hundred million odd people OF the
United States are not going to be
harmed by admitting this one man
or boy or girl-and thus prevent
misery and heartache in breaking up
a family.
It would be the easy way and the
way dictated by considerations OF nu-
manity and compassion to let the
alien remain. Also, it falls within the
discretionary powers the law gives 10
the secretary of labor. But one de-
cision of this sort would bring down
upon the heads of the members OF