Evening star., 1923-11-08
IN TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL y. COLLINS

that the law had not been strained, that
the Secretary's sympathies for human
ity In general and immigrants In par
! ticular were still what they had been
habitually, and that the whole news
paper report was-just that, and
nothing more.
In order to find any basis for such a
report that the quotas had been per-
mitted to be overdrawn, 1t was neces-
sary to assume that all passengers
who had come In on the ships ar
riving November 1, 2 and 3 were to
be admitted and to be counted in the
quotas. Recently Greece sent a great
shipload of immigrants, of all sorts.
Fifty-f1ve per cent of them were de-
MED admission, regardless of quotas,
for they were of an inadmissib ble e
class. On the other hand the immi-
grafton restrictions do not apply to
merchants, persons who come on
pleasure trips, as tourists, teachers,
students. or domestic servants. Thou
sands enter, annually, as domestic
servants and they are not counted in
the quotas. If the would-be immi-
grants knew of that portal through
which they might enter 1t is possible
that many a housewives complaint of
lack Of servants, would be satisfied.
Immigrants cannot use the loophole
as a mere pretense and slip into the
country under false claims, for they
are questioned and their past his
tories checked up.
x *.* X
The whole immigration problem
will be threshed over in the coming
session of Congress. 1t is hoped by
Secretary of Labor Davis that some
kind of check may be given which
will stop the most of the undesirables
from crossing the ocean on their
hopeless attempts to enter. Most of
the rejected are turned back because
of obstacles which have nothing to
do with quota restrictions-imb Giles,
lunatics, criminals, anarchists. dis
eased and those likely to become pub
lie burdens. While 1t is impossible, on
account of treaty obligations, to au-
thorize our consuls to refuse to wise
passports to immigrants, the consuls
may advise the applicants that GER
tain conditionS-the diseases or the
criminal record or illiteracy-will bar
them from entry and the passport
will prove valueless. The consul also
can investigate the facts concerning
immigrants whose desirability is
questionable and cable the recon-
mendations or the report of facts to
the immigration officers long before
the ships arrive. so that there will be
no danger Of the immigrants being
overlooked in sitting the good from
the bad.
X X * X
Under the Johnson bill, which has
the support of Secretary Davis, the
department will provide certificates of
admission and distribute them
among our consuls. These certif-
Gates will be for specified kinds of
immigrants, according to trades or
skilled professions needed in this
country. The certificates will not be
guarantees of admission, but the
questionnaires on which they will be
based will be so thorough that the
consul will be enabled to send only
those whose acceptability will be
more than likely. The total number
of blank certificates will be distribut-
ed, not only on the basis of the re-
spective quotas, but also on the de-
STABILITY of the classes of immi-
grants wanted. The quota system will
probably be renewed when the pres
ent law expires next June 80. but in
addition to that restriction as to the
respective totals each nation will be
invited to send within their quota
limits only such trade experts as are
most needed. according to the GER
tificates issued to the consuls.
Secretary Davis further asks Con-
gress to authorize a complete codi-
fication of all laws relating to immi-
grafton.
Copyright. 1928. by Paul Y. Collns.)