Evening star., 1923-01-21
FIGHT BEGUN TO LOWER j.
) BARS TO FOREIGN LABOR
House Committee Hears Advocates of
Greater lmmigration-Senate Commit
tee Favors Admitting Armenians.

the people drink wines to very
large extent. the United States is to-
day regarded as less free than some
others.
1t is interesting to note that, un-
der the 3 per cent quota law. the
countries comprising the northern and
western portions Of Europe failed to
send their quotas to the United States
in the last fiscal year. Furthermore,
the nationals of some Of the countries
Of the southern portion Of Europe
have left the shores of America in
numbers well nigh rs large as those
in which they have entered the United
States The result has been that the
net immigration into> this country
has been in reality small, far smaller
than was provided for IN the per
cent quota law.
Admission of Armenfans.
At present there is demand for
the entrance of the refugees from
Smyrna and the near east, refugees
fleeing before the Turk. Although
the House committee recently re-
fused to report bill admitting these
refugees, the Senate immigration COM
mittee has reported a measure which
in effect admits to the United States
the refugees from Armenia only who
have relatives in the United States
who have been naturalized or who
have declared their intention OF be-
coming citizens of the United States.
The Senate committee also has placed
in the bill proviso to admit orphan
children from Armenia. where pro-
vision Is made for their care in this
country, so that they will not be-
come charges of the government. In
limiting the admission of refugees to
Armenians the committee had in mind
the fact that the Armenians have no
country of their own-as have the
Greeks and Italians. It's position was
that Greeks and Italians who might
be refugees could go to Greece or
Italy.
An effort will be made In the Senate
to have the bill passed and sent to
the House, where, 1t Is hoped, the very
restricted provisions for the admls-
sion of Armenian refugees will meet
with approval also.
In view OF the short time inter-
vening before the adjournment of the
present Congress 1t is not believed
that any other immigration legisla- !
tion can be enacted into law. But
there is a growing belief that as soon |
as the next Congress assemblies the
question will be tackled |
and an effort made to put through |
permanent law to take the place of |
the present temporary per cent
quota law.
Claims and Counter Claims.
The complaint of the manufactur-
ing industries is that American boys
and the sons Of immigrants born in |
this country refuse to engage in what
is known as common labor-in dig
ging bitches, welding pick and
shovel. etc. They are not going into
the sheet steel mills. The system of
education in this country, witnesses
have charged. prepares boys for COL
lege and for white collar" jobs; that
it is educating the boys away from
the skilled trades, even, not to mem
tion common labor. Unless this labor |
Is obtained by immigration there is
going to be a great lack, 1t is said
Opponents Of the proposal to lower
the bars to Immigrants. on the other
hand. charge that the employers want
to obtain cheap labor. They say that
American labor is now we'll employed,
and they do not want to rock the
boat" by permitting the entry Of a |
mass Of foreign labor.
In the century extending from 1920
to 1920 some s4,75o,oo0 immigrants
came into the United States. 1t was
during these years that transporta-
tion systems and the great industries
of the country were built up. With
out immigration the development of
the country could not have been ac-
complished. say the advocates Of fur
ther immigration. They contend that !
without additional immigration It will
not be possible for the country to
continue its development as It
should.