Evening star., 1923-07-20
Make Immigrant Selectlc
Abroad. Not at Our Gates.

Whether Secretary of Labor Davis
will find universal remedy for the
congested conditions which prevail
in immigration circles on the first OF
every month during his present trip
to Europe is doubtful in the view of
the nations editors. They seem to
feel that the vacation" element Will
be of more benefit to the Secretary
than any research he may make on
the ground. But there is voiced a
universal demand that the clearing
house" for future citizens be at their
homes rather than at Ellis Island or
border points and seacoast ports.
Common humanity. editors argue, de-
mands that these people be saved
money they need badly and shat. if
they are not to be admitted they be SO
told at home and not within the
shadow of the American flag.
: IF Mr.. Davis wishes to study the
problem the place is our own tight
little Ellis Island" suggests the wall
street journal in characterizing the
present law as an abomination, not
created to safeguard our citizenship.
but to create n labor monopoly. Ihe
iinhumanity of dividing families be-
our statute books. Neither should
the dishonesty of permitting people
to invest life savings in passage
money and then refusing them ad-
mission be any longer tolerated. Nor
should those admitted be dumped into
New York to form colonies that are
a menace to the country. Let us be-
gin studying the question right here
at Ellis Island.
The New York Tribune holds that
No. u, to- t.,d
and this is conclusively demonstrated"
by the operations of the first fort
night of the new fiscal year, but the
Philadelphia Record, replying direct
Iy to the Tribune. declares nothing
could be further from the truth" and
insists the quota laws operations
have inflicted "injustices' time and
again. The scramble at the begin
ming of the new fiscal year was dis
graceful" 1.-The Decatur Herald insists.
and eff the Legislative wisdom OF
America is capable to devising no bet
ter basis OF selection than priority,
ii might at least make the priority
one of application to a consul in the
port of embarkation, sparing the In
Fiction of suffering and ruin upon
thousands whose only oirense IS De
sire to cast their lots with this coun-
try" -,
The present law is a makeshift, and
the Detroit Free Press considers 1T
"unScientific and unsatisfactory. FOR
q long time how to discourage the
advent of certain human strains with
small assimilative powers and hostile
ideas, and at the same time encour-.
age the coming of strains which have
a natural understanding of. and SYM
pathy with, American ways and In
stitutions has been a vexed question.
And that question today Is good
deal more important than 1t ever was
before" The Kansas City Journal
approves the "selective selection" at
a home port, while the Peoria Tran
script also insists the present law is
excellent, and ''if any modification is
needed it should be in the manner OF
the laws administration. not In its
restrictions or provisions This view
has the Endorsement of the Tampa
Times, although the latter Woulo
'make the law more humane through
an understanding with every nation
which is sending us it's people which
would limit the number of those al
lowed to start to the number allowed
to land in any given period
Regrettable though it is in that i'm
migrants have to suffer, the Mobile
Register is convinced, "if the bars
were let down undesirables would
swarm to our shores to- add to the
complications already caused by un-
assimilable elements of our popula-
ton. The ignorant, unskilled for
eigners who gather in the congested
mill towns of America, where living
conditions are bad to begin with. and
! are made worse by overcrowding,
mean bigger profits to the manufac-
turers. What they mean to America
doesn't matter" Exception to this
declaration is taken by the New York