Evening star., 1924-05-26
PRESIDENT SIGNS
IMMIGRATION BILL
BANNING JAPANESE
OiSapproves Failure of Con-
gress to Provide Longer De-
lay in Effective Date.
SAYS OTHER FEATURES
OF LAW BASIS FOR OK.
Feared Veto Would Result in
Faulty Emergency Law, White
House Announces.

The immigration bill was signed
today by President Coolidge.
Despite the provision making
Japanese exclusion effective next
July 1. put into the measure over his
vigorous opposition. the President de-
".ded because of other considerations
d" give the Executive approval
necessary to spread the legislation on
the statute books.
1t was pointed out that inasmuch
IS the present immigration law ex-
pres on June 80, veto might have
made it necessary to rush through
an emergency measure in the closing
hours of the session.
Such step, the President felt,
would not be practicable in view Of
the tangled legislative situation and
me certainty that any emergency
provision would be beset by MANY
attempts at amendment and possibly
blocked altogether.
DisapprOves Short Delay.
As soon as he had affixed his
signature to the bill however, the
President began preparation of a
statement expressing his disapproval
. oi the failure of Congress to provide
for longer delay in the effective
date of japanese exclusion.
The Presidents statement declared
he had approved the bill because of
the necessity of considering "the bill
whole and the imperative need
of the country for legislation of this
general character"
If the exclusion provision stood
alone, the President said, he would
have disapproved it without hesita-
tion.
Besides the Japanese exclusion fea-
ture, the bill contains a number of
= provisions which were the basis of
stubborn contests when the lcEisla-
ton first was under consideration in
Senate and House. One question
long in dispute was the method of
determining national quotas. which
under the measure as finally passed
are reckoned at = per cent on the
basis of the 1890 census. eszsss
Exclusion Big Issue.
This and all other disagreements
over the bills provisions have been
subordinated to the Japanese exclu-
sion issue ever since Ambassador
Hanihara on April IL sent a note to
the State Department suggesting that
the possibility of grave conse
quences" be considered before an alb
Solute legislative barrier was reared
against the Japanese. The note was
characterized in both Senate and
House as a veiled threat and both re-
affirmed quickly and by overwhelm-
ing majorities their desire for exclu-
sion
: The House passed the bill, 322 to
Il. and the Senate, 62 to 6. Under
the House measure exclusion would
have been effective July L of this
year, but the Senate voted to make
il effective Immediately. While the
legislation was in conference the
President appealed directly to the
conferes to write in postponement
until March !. 1926, so as to permit
Negotiation of an agreement with
Japan, hut the conference committee
refused to accept his plan.
Subsequently the conferes did
gree to a postponement until March
I. 1925, but when their report was
brought into the House it was voted
down, 191 to III. A new conference
fective date July /, 1924, and 1t was
adopted by the House, 308 to So, and
by the Senate, 50 to 8. In each case
the majority was far in excess of the
twO-tnlTOS CHdL "ouIu De HeCeSSdEy
for passage over veto.
Conferred With Hughes.
The Presidents signature was af-
fixed to the bill after he had con-
ferred with Secretary Hughes and
had devoted a week end to study of
he measure and the reports made on
II by the State and Labor Depart
ments.
The Presidents message to the
>IIouse in connection with the immi-
grafton bill follows:
I'm signing this bill, which in it's
main features l heartily approve, /
reEret the impossibility of severing
rom it the exclusion provision which,
IN the light of existing law. affects
especially the Japanese. / gladly rec
ognize that the enactment OF this pro-
vision does not imply any change in
our sentiment of admiration and cor
dial friendship for the Japanese peo-
pie. sentiment which has had ana
will continue to have abundant mani
festation. The bill rather expresses
the determination of the Congress to
exercise it's prerogattve in defining by
legislation the control of immigration
instead of leaving it to international
arranEements. 1t should be noted that
The bill exempts from the exclusion
provision government officials, those
noming to this country as tourists, or
remporarily for business or pleasure;
hose in transit, seamen, those al
ready resident here and returning
from temporary absences, professors,
minister's of religion, students, ana
hose who enter solely to carry on
trade In pursuance of existing treaty
provisions.
but we have had for many years
an understanding with Japan by
which. the Japanese government has
Voluntarily undertaken to prevent the
,mirration of laborers to the United
states; and in view of this historic
reIation and Of the feeling which in
,pired it, 1T would have been mucL
better, in my judgment. and more ef-
fectiye in the actual control OF fmrni-
grafton, If we had continued to In
vite the cooperation which japan
was ready to give and had thus avoid
ed creating any ground for misappre-
tension by an unnecessary statutory
enactment That course would not
have derogated from the authority OF
The Congress to deal with the ques-
tion In any exigency requiring it's
action. There is scarcely any ground
for dfsa greement as to the result we
want, but this method of securing 1t
,is unnecessary and deplorable at this
Nine. If the exclusion provision stood
'tlone I should disapprove it without
hesitation, if sought in this way at
This time. But this bill is compre-