The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-11-01
WHY AMERICA SHOULD PROHIBIT
IMMIGRATION FOR FIVE YEARS
BY Lillian Schmidt

Restriction of immigration has be-
come a very important factor, when
the future welfare of America is con-
sidered. We are in the midst Of an
industrial depression, with unemploy-
ment az its consequence. At the same
time the number of Europeans migrat-
ing to this country is increasing.
Surely it car be of no advantage to
this country or to the immigrant if
he is permitted to enter this land,
where such a large section of the peo-
pie is without work.
The native American w~age-earner
and his working companions of for
mer years, the people of Northwestern
Europe, who have become skilled in
the industries, are being replaced by
dang erously radical and wholly ILL
terate individuals from Southern and
Eastern Europe. The Southeastern
European, who has so extensively
found employment in our mines and
factories. Because of his tractibility,
destitute condition and low stand
ards, has been inclined to consent to
the demands on the part of the M
ployer, of low wages, extra work, and
long hours. The living conditions of
these recent immigrants have made il
extremely difficult for the experienced
employ ees to compete with them.
The immigrants. who now come to
this country in the largest numbers,
are not being assimilated, but are
being packed together in foreign quar-
ters at the great industrial centers.
They have no permanent interest in
the community in which they live, or
in the industry in which they are en-
plCyed. Their greatest purpose is to
live as cheaply as they can and save
as much money as possible. Conse-
quently, this massing of many alien
incomers greatly increases difficulties
of housing, of health and sanitation
and of urban social problems. All
these problems are so complicated,
because our American industrial CT
ties are not American cities, but
groups OF alien peoples.
Those who believe that we a as
simulate all the aliens say. that, al
though we may not succeed with the
parents, we can do so with the child
rem. by the aid of the public schools.
Undoubtedly many immigrant child
rem show high mental ability and pros
poets of becoming good citizens.
Nevertheless. schooling is but a small
factor of the influence to which the
children are subject The tendency of
immigrants to crowd together in cities
or form colonies, mea that the child
rem will come in direct contact with
none but their own race, therefore,
will not become accustomed to Aperi-
can methods Of living Or learn and
adopt American ideals.
There is one step that is an abso-
lutely essential part Of the Americana
zatiOn campaign. The problem is a
very difficult n and cannot possibly
he thoroughly accomplished unless
the number of alien immigrants is
restricted. 1t is entirely impossible
to educate, assimilate, Americanize
and naturalize our foreign population
IL millions are forever pouring into
the country. II immigration was pro-
hibited for a period of five years, these
aliens could be Americanized. During
that time, this country could be built
up, and prepared to properly take
care Of the influx of new immigrants
when our gates are again opened to
aliens