The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-04-26
THE IMMENSE IMPORTANCE OF
THE NEW ALIEN LAW

HS lNo HOUSED vi SOIlS TBS
have now declared their present
immigration policy. That policy
excludes all Asiatics. II discrirn
mates against southern and eastern
| European nations. and it favors
northwestern European nations.
AS we see ii. the adoption of this
policy is as vital an act Is the rec
ord Of this congressional session
will disclose. 1t is as important
as would be the adoption Of the en-
tire Mellon plan. Vital as Secre-
tary Melons fiscal proposals are
t. the prosperity Of the United
States. we doubt whether they are
more vital TO the permanent well
fare of the nation than this per
cent 1890 policy.
There have been four steps in
the history Of Americas immigra-
ton regulations:
First, We barred all Asiatics ex-
ccpt Japanese.
Second, We negotiated a Gentle
mems Agreement to bar Japanese
laborers; but this agreement prov
ed Intellectual.
Third, we limited immigration
from each non-Asiatic country to 3
PER cent of that country's nationals
present in the United States in
1910
Fourth. We now discriminate
among non-Asiatic countries. Civ
ing preference to those countries
whose nationals nave proved them
selves the most capable of adjust
ing themselves to the American
scheme of things.
What we are moving towards is
Il system under which we shall
regulate the amount of our immi-
grafton by our industrial needs and
the quality of our immigration by
a sitting process conducted in
other lands by American officials.
Under that system, each appli-
cant would be judged as an indi-
vidual. The establishment of such
a system has been prevented by two
influences - opposition of other
rations. and the opposition of
racial groups within the United
States
As the next best thing. we are
now making a broad discrimination
in favor Of the countries whose ma
tiOnals were our principal immi-
grants before 800, and against the
countries whose nationals have
been our principal immigrants
since 1890.
This is rough. -of-thumb
method, justified by two main
facts. -'.t
First. the radical movement. on
the whole, is stronger in southern
and eastern Europe than in north
western Europe.
Second, immigrants from south
ern and eastern Europe have, on
the whole, proved more radical and
less easily adjustable than immi-
grants from northwestern Europe.
This is our rule-of-thumb meth
cd. 1t may be objected that one or
two of the nations within the un-
Favored group stand on par with
the nations within the favored
group, SO far as the quality of their
emigration to us is concerned.
But that is not the comparison
which Congress is making.
Congress is comparing one group,
Or the whole, with the other group,
on the whole. And such rough
comparison and the resultant rough
discrimination will have to be
made until we are able to put into
effect system of selecting immi-
grants by their personal fitness.
Much has been said against the
present Congress, and we have
done bit of the saying Congress
has talked much and done little
It's tendency has been to defeat the
Mellon plan. It's tendency has
been toward opportunistic and
radical legislation. But this can
now be said for Congress-: that at
last it has responded to the will of
the American people and has
adopted an immigration policy
which will tend to exclude foreign
radicals and to permit the United
States to become a truly united
nation.-Chicago Journal of Com
merce.