Evening star., 1925-07-19
immigration Committee to
Meet on November | to
Form Action.
WOULD SIMPLIFY LAWS,
CURBING HODGEPODGE
Chairman Says Exclusion of Japa-
nese Has Proved an Un-
qualified Success.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
staff Correspondent of The Star.

SEATTLE, Wash, July 18.-Repre-
sentative Albert Johnson of Wash
ington, author of the immigration law,
has summoned the House immigra-
ton committee to assemble at the
Capital on November l TO lay the
foundations of the alien code which
will be submitted to the Sixty ninth
Congress. The code" is to serve the
purpose which its title indicates.
Proceeding on the theory that the
new law fixes American immigration
policy with finality as far as the
restrictive principle is concerned. Mr..
Johnson and his colleagues are not
bent upon "codification" of the law.
1t is desired to dispense with the
hodge podge" of both the immigra-
ton and naturalization statutes by
simplifying them all along the line.
Representative Johnson Is under no
illusions as to the difficulties in pros
pect. He knows these will be numer-
Gus and hard to overcome. He
doubts whether the proposed legisla-
ton can be accomplished in two years.
The Washington State legislator,
who is putting in the Summer explain
ing to the people in his huge district
and elsewhere what the new law is, is
an avowed opponent of the plan to
dilute 1t with "selective immigration. 1"
He has no sympathy with the project
to that end which the National Asso
citation of Manufacturers is sponsor
ing, and will fight it tooth and nail if
II reaches the stage of a congress
sional measure.
Ignored by Manufacturers.
Johnson says that the manufac-
turers' association, in it's anxiety for
plenty of cheap labor in boom times.
wholly ignores the fact that the new
restrictive law was rassed to assure
sound racial and political conditions
in America. The association" says
Johnson, talks a lot about deporting
radicals, but says nothing about de-
porting the hordes of laborers whom
1t would allow to enter the country
when the demand for unskilled labor
is brisk The manufacturers propose
TO let them stay here when business
is slack, to become a charge upon
the community and a menace to our
institutions. / am opposed to letting
down the bars in that way. l am con-
vinced Congress is opposed. 1t would
undermine the whole fabric of the
immigration policy which has become
an accepted part of the organic law
of the land"
The proposed "alien code" Repre-
sentative johnson expects will be con-
tested mainly because of the provision
for registration of aliens. There are
between 13 and IA million aliens now
In the United States,' Mr.. Johnson
said. Possibly half of these have
taken out their first papers.
mo one contemplates registration
for revenue purposes.
Registration Cards.
Registration cards should be given
without charge. 1t already costs an
arriving alien SIS for visa fee and
head tax. Nor should registration be
looked upon by the alien as a com
pulsory proposition. 1t should be vol
untary on his part. 1t would have
practical and beneficial results for
him. Under the law, an alien must
hand over to the American authorities
all his immigration papers, without
exception. When he has done so he is
virtually bereft of all official evidence
Of origin and identity. We had to
provide for this because of our expert
ence with Chinese immigrants, of trad
ing documents for immigration snug
Cling purposes. When the alien, un-
der the registration system, is pro-
vided with a card his identity is estab-
lished, for his own purposes as well
as those of the United States. 1t is
not intended to Prussianize our coun-
try. Registration is not espionage. 1t
is a mutual protective scheme, from
which all parties concerned can only
benefit, provided always that the alien
is bona fide in his desire to become an
assimilated element of the people
among which he has come. 1t will
facilitate naturalization and promote
AmericaniZation."
Representative Johnson was asked
from what quarters he expects oppo-
sition to the alien CODE Mainly from
four sources" he replied. First,
from the manufacturing interests,
which think the United States will
Continued on Page 4, Column 81