Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-08-06
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL J. COLLINS.

has not been sending as emigrants
men of the class of her Michel
angelo, her Calico or her Leonardo
She has been dumping her "dregs"
upon the world, while the Grade A"
men of Lombardy are not squeezed
out by her economic pressure. Citing
again the laws of Nautilus. he points
10 the conclusion that emigration re
lief is temporary. There is immedi
ate birth release, and the harassed
people are again back in the same
situation"
| His conclusion was TO the effect that
Italy should develop her own re-
sources, and that so long as she fails
10 do so the Nautilus law will permit
her population to increase only to the
maximum which she can support
and no more
The Nautilus law assumes that there
VIII be migration throughout the
world until all the world is equally
populated according to resources:
then it will be stabilized. just as the
ocean ms flow into each other until all
are a the same level
According to officials in the Office Of
the immigration commissioner of the
United States, the present immigra-
tion restriction law, enacted in 1924,
is working more satisfactorily than
did any previous law since we began
immigration control. II not only has
cut down the number of immigrants
admitted, but it is bringing a much
better class, and there are fewer
tragedies in the way OF disappoint-
ments after would-be immigrants
have crossed the ocean only to be re-
1ected at the port. This is owing to
the fact that our consuls are exam
lining them on the other side of the
ocean before issuing their visas
Nevertheless, there are opponents Of
the present law who object to its basis
of nationality as being artificial in
standards, and they argue for stand
ardlZat1on upon three points, regard
less of nationality - physical fitness
literacy or general intelligence and
moral character
They would have all immigrants ad-
mitted tentatively for FIVE wears. with
the provision that they could be de.
ported at any time within that limit
if the status upon which the adn1is-
sion had been gained was changed or
found INCORRECT. Furthermore they
argue that ii is intelligence that
counts: high moral types. whether
from Germany or Spain, Greece or
England; strong physiques like those
of the sturdy Swiss or the industrious
Hollander, even though they come
from Sicily. Migration is not a matter
of nationality, they argue, but of, per-
sonalfty. and so long as we have I'M
occupied territory or have industries
needing workmen. every immigrant of
the right standard is an added asset
to the American Nation
| Such is the argument of Maurice r.
Davis. Phi. D., assistant professor of
the science of society, of Yale Uniyer-
sity in his "A Constructive Immisra-
ton Policy"
In that pamphlet he saws:
We recognize the great service
| they tthe immigrants) have performed
in developing our country, and the aid
they have rendered in making it one
of the leading industrial and CONNER
cial nations in the world; and we know.
Furthermore, that their exclusion
would seriously cripple most of our
basic industries. 1t is said that i'm.
migrant workmen today mine three
quarters of our output of iron and
coal; they constitute the majority Of
the laborers in our lumber camps; they
are used almost exclusively to lay our
railroad tracks and to build our roa DIS
and keep them in repair. In all forms
of construction activities they pre-
dominate.
They bake one-half our bread, re-
fine one-half our sugar, prepare four
| fifths of our leather, make SO per cent
of our gloves. shoes and silks and 95
per cent of our clothing. and consti-
tute so per cent of all the employees of
our packing houses"
X
Lest Americans should arrogate to
themselves pride of pure blood de-
! scent from the Original America n
I colonists,' the census, OF 1920 reminds