The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-01-07
Immigration Should
Be Regulated
Haphazard Admission Of All
Sorts Of Aliens Should Not
Be Permitted by United
States


policy. This fact was never SO
strongly realized before il. the his
tory Of the United states. The in
dustrial situation Of this country
and Of the entire world has
brought this fact home.
Our lawmakers are beginning to
| realize that there are periods when
il is wise to admit immigrants in
large numbers and other times
! when il i; inadvisable TO admit
them at all. Many begin to see
that the laws should be flexible 10
meet industrial conditions without
special acts Of congress.
AT a time like the present when
estimates Of the number Of persons
out of work haze varied between
! 5000, 900 and 5000, 900 persons,
| many immigration authorities state
that there should be no immigra-
! ton TO add 10 the number Of those
seeking work.
In discussing this phase Of the
matter Dr.. Sidney l.. Guiick, eN-
ecutive secretary Of the National
/ Committee for Constructive Imnli-
grafton Legislation, said:
Under the present emergency
law this country may admit from
July /, 1921, to June 80, 1922,
grand total Of 355,S25 immigrants.
The present law provides that the
number OF qualified immigrants
who may be adnitted from each
! European country shall not eX-
ceed three per cent OF the foreign
born residents from that country
in the United States as shown in
the census of 1910. This law has
worked q great hardship as we
have seen in holding up Of ships for
the expiration of the monthly
quota and of the race between
ships. Under this plan the more
desirable immigrant may be kept
out because lis ship is not as fast
as the one that gets in ahead Of
him.
whatever permanent immisra-
ton policy congress may adopt,
: p
facts and experiences Of our nat
ural life. Il should be fitted TO
deal effectively with changing in
dustrial conditions and also with
the larger and more intricate prob
lem of population composition and
It's wholesale incorporation into
our body polite and national life.
Our immigration policy should
be thoroughly patriotic, that is,
! American. We should watch care
fully the Americanizing processes
and note how each people respond
to their new opportunity in this
land. Proper provisions should be
made to promote AmericaniZation
of every people in the United
States. but the amount OF immlsra-
ton from each people should be
determined in the light Of their
proved ability TO be wholesomely
incorporated into our body polite.
If they tend to develop and to
maintain undue group-conscious-
ness, functioning in the body poll
tic primarily as hyphenated Amer
leans, or ii they regard them
selves and are regarded by their
native lands rs colonists and out
posts. further immigration from
these groups woud seem to be
undesirable:
Immigration should be regu-
lated. 1t should no longer be left
TO haphazard, blind forces deter
mining for us the number and the
character of the immigrants enter
ing America. The time has come
for America consciously 10 take
control of her own destiny. By
controlling the amount and kind
of immigration to be allowed.
"Immigration should be scien-
tifcally regulated. All the needed
facts as 10 economic and indus
trial conditions. here and abroad.
rs to types of the racial groups al
ready here and those desiring TO
come. as TO the ease or difficulty
of their assimilation and Americana
ization. and as TO their respective
Individual and racial fitness TO do
the desired work, should be sclen-
tiGcally gathered and nationally
used in regulating immigration.
There should be wise selec-
ton OF immigration. 1t should be
possible not only TO admit the de-
sirablc, and TO the numbers desired,
but also to refuse immigration be-
vond that point. It should be pos
:ible also TO refuse immigration
altogether TO types or groups about
which there is grave doubt as to
assinilability.
effective methods OF distrlbu-
ticn should be found. llnm!gra-
ton should be directed To areas
where the population is still shsht
and especially to agricultural re-
gious. II should be possible TO re-
strain or even entirely TO stop I'M
migration to populous areas of Sc
] riously congcStcd aliens still largely
unassimilated and n-AmcrlcanlZ-
/ cd
The policy should be flexible.
! The amount OF immigration should
be adjusted rs economic and indus
n.ial conditions vary. We should
admit as many a5simiiabie lnnl-
grants as we can steadily employ
without endanSerinS n IN ~
American standards of living and
labor. This number VIII vary as
Industry thr;vcs or is depressed,