Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-02-19

According to the Secretary OF Labor,
Mr. Davis. the very key to alien con-
troll lies in a system of registration OF
all aliens as soon as they arrive in
America, and an annual reregistra-
ton thereafter until they become
naturalized citizens. A bill to estao-
lish such system has been intro
duced in the House by Representa-
tive Aswell, and is now under con-
sideration in the committee of immi-
grafton and naturalization. The
measure meets opposition on the part
of certain members who have OPP
posed all legislation looking to de-
portation of criminal aliens or such
as have entered this country sur
reptitiously. Registration of all aliens
Is claimed by opponents as humlli-
ating," since natives are not regis
tered, although in all countries
whence come these immigrants even
pleasure seekers who tour the land
must register with the police in every
city they enter and thus may be
Inundated" daily, IL they travel fast
enough, while aliens coming to Amer
lea, even in case Of the proposed law,
would register only once a year, and
that not with the police but at the
nearest post ONCE.
america is faced with the neces-
sity." says Secretary Davis, "of
facilitating the assimilation into our
natural life of the many aliens who
have come to this country and who
continue to come despite our restric-
tive immigration laws. Registration
should appeal to every alien who de-
sires to make the best use OF amer
lean opportunity
Under the provisions of the bill, an
alien who is thus registered five years
can be admitted to full citizenship
without the formal declaration of in
tent: it is assumed that all aliens
coming to America and taking up
their life work here desire to adopt
this as their country. OF course they
must show qualifications before they
can be granted citizenship-knowl
edge of our institutions and good
moral character.
But of the 100000 foreign-b born
people shown by the 1920 census to
be in the United States" says Secre-
tary Davis, more than half had not
yet accepted the duties and RESPONSE
bilities of American citizenship.
Since 1920 more than two and a quar-
ter million Immigrants have come
through our ports and over our bor-
ders The year 1924 saw $4,000 ad-
mitted to the United States, of which
7o6,seS were classed as immigrants
Canada and Mexico. which are not
affected by the quota limitations in our
present law, sent us 2S0,025 in 1924
as against 1s0,79S in 1928"
From the committee on immigra
ton and naturalization comes the re-
port that, since the passage of the
last immigra ton law, the. first six
months of the fiscal year showed a
decrease OF immigration from the
non-Quota countries of Mexico and
Canada, as compared with the pre-
vious year, amounting to 3S per cent
in the case of Canada and SO per cent
from Mexico. This is accounted fol
by the fact that from those countries
the intending immigrant must make
application and secure a visa, ano
that requires a certain amount Of
literacy, which the Mexican peon OIL
laborer does not possess however
that handicap would not apply large-
ly to Canadians, and must be ex-
planned otherwise. .S+
These decreases have not beer
questioned by Secretary Davis, but
ignoring the figures as not bearing
upon the question Of assimilation
and control. the Secretary says:
'.The mere fact that we have &C.
cepted as an integral part of oul
population the great group Of for
eign-born imposes an obligation upon
us as a people. The records of the
department show that during the