The Minnesota fiery cross. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1924-19??, 1924-03-28
America S Right
(Sisux City JOurnaD


All editorial attack on the johnson
immigration bill declared the meas
ure, (which seeks TO restrict immi-
grafton from various countries of
the world on the basis of 2 per cent
Of the number of any nationality in
this country at the time of the 1890
census, is the most discriminatory
piece of legislation that has been
proposed in recent years" The Kur-
yer Polski is Polish newspaper, one
Of the many Milwaukee publications
that devote themselves more partic-
ularly to foreign than to American
political and sociological interests,
which observation may serve to dull
somewhat the point of it's lance.
The Kuryer Polski thinks that what
ever the percentage of restriction
should be, if it were based on the
1920 census the various nationalities
in question would have no just
cause for complaint against the quo
tas allowed them; on the contrary
they would, as Americans, give the
new immigration bill their hearty
support" This makes it plain enough
that the Kuryer Polski expects Amer.
lean citizens Of late foreign extrae'
tion to hold on for a long time to
alien habits and customs and alier
principles and methods of thinking
and thus to slow down the process
of Americanization. The encourage
ment Of that phrase of life for new,
corners in America seems to be the
chief aim and purpose of the fore,
ign language newspapers published
here, and nothing else, perhaps, i.
as great a hindrance to their assimi
lation. The Kuryer Polski refers Il
these people as Americans, but tells
them they should demand a greater
consideration on the part of thi:
country for the nationalties from
which they have came. 1t is obvious
that such an attitude creates toe
great an interest in the minds of so
called Americans in the welfare o.
the peoples from which they have
separated themselves and too little
in the future of the country they
have made theirs by adoption. 1t il
natural, of course, for naturaliZet
citizens to desire that the privilege
of admittance be extended to thei'
near relatives left in the old country
and that, it is understood, will b.
provided for in the new immigration
law. 1t is not so natural for Amer
lean citizens who have become rea
Americans to cling to racial kinship
These should learn to think of Ameri
ca first, but foreign language news
papers keep them in line for man!
generations thinking first of all Of
the countries whence they came.
Continuing it's attack, the Kuryel
Polski declares:
Assuming that a decrease Of immi
grafton is necessary (which we do not
believe) adoption of the 1890 census
as basis is obviously unjust, unfair
and discriminatory, and its enactment
will be an insult to all but two Of
the nationalities affected by the pro
posed bill. If immigration must be
restricted, let il be done on a basi:
of equality to all and favoritism tc
none, and any bill conceived in this
spirit will undoubtedly meet with
widespread support and appreciation.
The Kuryer Polski already ha:
established that it considers the John
son immigration bill unjust, unfair
discriminatory and insulting from
two standpoints, the one on account
of the views Of the naturalized Amer
leans of various nationalities, and
the other because of nationalities
wholly foreign to this country, peo-
pies who now live in other lands. One
might ask the Kuryer Polski if it be-
lieves the national policy in this
country should be dictated by those
elements recently brought from other
lands instead of by the older genera
tions of Americans, who have, by vir-
tue of education, training and inheri-
lance, sensed more profoundly the
ideals of liberty and progress Mean
while, as far as the other standpoint
is concerned, the United States does
not owe a single obligation to any
country on earth in the matter of alb
sorbing its surplus population. The
thing for Americans to remember
and il is thing the foreign lam
guage newspaper in this country has
never even learned-in shaping an
immigration policy and in enacting
a permanent immigration law is the
nations duty to itself. And even at
the risk OF being regarded rs dis
criminatory, unfair and unjust to-
ward other nationalities, the United
States should adopt q policy that
would give Il the greatest measure
of protection. Americas right TO pick
and choose immigrants need not be
confined to the fit individuals of n
given race but may be extended TO
the fttest of the races,