The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1924-01-15
immigration
Restriction
Is Drastic
Changes Made in House Meas
urc All Aimed to Cut Down
Alien lnfluxAQuota Is
Based OH 1890 Census.
Jews and Italians Hit
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

immigration committee will end it'
y session and report the new restriction
bill early this week. The most con
spicuous aspect of the session and o.
the hearing of witnesses had by the
committee is expressed by the fac
that every change made by the com
mittee is In the direction of more
drastic restriction. The chairman o.
the committee, Congressman Albert
Johnson of Washing ton, is himself g
strong believer in restriction and was
the leading pioneer of that policy
When he wrote the first draft of the
bill. II reflected his rather strong re
strietion beliefs. But 1t turned ou
that a majority of the committee out
.Iohnsoned Johnson. This is correc
index of the sentiment of congress as
whole, which is strongly in favor Of
severe restriction.
When the bill is finished this week
the main feature of it will provide thai
the limit of immigrants admitted from
any one country shall be two per cent
of the natives of that country already
here. according to the census of 1890
This quota will admit in any one yeal
total of 16S, ,SS7 from all countries
The extent of this reduction will be
realized when 1t Is compared with the
total OF s57 .s03 admitted under tho
present quota law, and the total ol
more than a million and half. who
came In during the last year OF unre
stricted immigration.
Relatives Also Restricted.
Another provision of the bill. as il
now stands. will admit. in addition
TO the quota. the wives and husbands
Of aliens already naturalized here. ano
also their children, IL under 1s years
IF age, and their parents II over. -ao'
rs originally proposed, this provision
was much more liberal and admitted
minor brothers and sisters and minor
pieces and nephews. This latter pro
vision was cut out by the committee
End the admission of relatives may be
cut down still further before The bill
j. finally perfected. The whole mat
tor Of admitting relatives above the
quota limits is still in flux. A further
publication of the new bill in the di
rection of exclusion makes II possible
now. for the first time, for American
eonsuls abroad to refuse to permit al
alien 10 sail for America, if IL appears
on his papers that he is not admis
sible. Under the present and past
conditions, all the consul could &c
was TO cable the authorities in Amer
lea TO be on the watch for the unde
sirable immigrant.
There were two marked aspects OF
tho hearings. both OF which reflected
the Strikingly changed attitude ol
america as a whole on Immigration
In immigration hearings In pas
years, there were always dtumbei
Of CORPORATION presidents and othei
business men. who made n plea iOl
more immigrants as matter OF labor
ennpIv- Practically none such ap
peared at the present hearings. busi
ross has either been converted to the
new American attitude on inmigra
ton. or accepted II as inevitable. Also
at past hearings, O. number OF ideal
,sts always appeared. who laid elo
quent emphasis on the plea tha
America should continue to be thu
refuge of oppressed peoples. At ths
present hearings, practically no sucr
y plea was made. The theory OF Aner
lea as an open asylum for all Euro
no,ns who care to come has disappea
ed. Practically all the witnesses, wht
appeared at these hearings in opposi
tion to immigration restriction. were
renresentatives OF foreign language
newspapers or other associations o.
the foreign born. Their plans were
in behalf of letting in more OF ths
races they represent.
Two Races Hard Hit.
II is frankly recognized that th'
Two races whose numbers Will be great
Is reduced by the new law are TN
Italians, and those who come IRON
Russia and Poland-chiefy Jews.
When the bill goes on the flool
Of the house this week, 1t VIII be op
posed. The first effort will be Il
make the latest census of 1920 th'
basis for the quota. When that falls
the census OF 1910 will be proposed
and then the census OF 1900. Al
these proposals will have the pur
pose OF admitting more immigrants
especially n larger proportion OF tn
races named. The strong expecta
lion is that all these proposals vii
be defeated In the house. In th'
senate, the fight may be more close
Senators coming from states wher'
considerable bodies of voters are o
the races named, win try TO make thu
new law easier for them. The Italian
ambassador in America has already
made a public protest against th'
new bill, which will reduce the quot'
Of Italians from upward of 10000, I'm
der the present law. TO less thar
1000 under tho proposed law.
The perfecting of this bill, repre-
senting trend OF immigration polic,
that goes TO the heart of the stool
> OF the American people, Is decided!
tho more important development o
the week In Washington. Next Il
importance, perhaps, In reaction oi
the part Of congress, an assertion o
its will. against pressure, In behal
- two pending subjects,