Evening star., 1925-08-11
UNIONS PLAN DRIVE
ONLAT|N AMERICA
Federation Backs Intensive
Campaign-Mexican Immi-
grafton Curb Also Sought.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Plans for an intensive campaign to
organize wage earners throughout
Latin America We're announced today
by the Pan-American Federation of
Labor.
a statement outlining the purposes
of the movement, which is to take
more definite form a a conference at
American Federation OF Labor head
quarters here on August q, has been
sent out for circulation in all Latin
American countries. The proposed con-
ference also will consider immigration
questions.
Santiago Iglesias, Spanish Language
secretary of the Pan-AmeriCan Fed
Grafton. announced the organization
plan after he and other labor leaders.
including President Green of the
American Federation, had been in con-
sultation with representatives from
several sections of this and other coun-
tries, notably labor union officials
along the United States-Mexican bor-
der. In these conferences there was
much discussion of the problem of inn
migration from Mexico, and of the
status of Mexican laborers who have
been brought in from time to time TO
relieve past labor shortages in this
country.
Plan Curb on Immigrants.
For the consideration of this sub
ject Edwardo Moneda. general secre-
tary of the Mexican Regional Fedora.
ton of Labor, is expected to attend
the August 81 conference here. If a
satisfactory plan TO deal with border
immigration can be worked out. it
will be presented to the United States
and Mexican governments for APP
Droval.
This discussion, however, will be but
a part of the general purposes of the
movement.
The Pan-American Federation of
Labor" said Mr.. Iglesias today. 'in.
tends to use every possible proper eff
fort to bring about rapid organization
of all the great masses of workers in
the Latin American republics"
The question of immigration from
Mexico has assumed aspects which
President Green and other American
Federation officials regard a s serious
ly requiring attention. They have
been told that last November 5000
Mexican laborers were brought in un-
der a permit given by Government Of
ficials to help out in the Southern cot
ton fields, but that two weeks later all
but 200 of them were out of employ
ment and all were left eventually to
Shift for themselves on this side -of
the border.
Immigrant Tide Growing
Department of Labor statistics show
that in the FIVE fiscal years ending in
1924 a total of 255.774 immigrants en-
tered the United States from Mexico,
compared with only 96,976 for the five
years preceding. The emigrants to
Mexico from the United States during
the 1O-year period were 6S,692. From
July ], 1924, to April 80, 1925. immi-
grants numbering 25,077 came in from
Mexico, while 1853 were crossing the
border in the opposite direction.
American Federation officials have
been advised that the situation already
has received the active attention of
the Mexican government, and that 1t
has taken steps to stop the flow of
Mexican labor northward from Tor
feon toward the border. Luis n. Mo-
rones. the Mexican labor leader, who
is vice chairman of the Pan-American
Federation, has made a study of pos
sible remedies, and is expected to at
tend the Washington conference.
Quota Plan Urged.
Secretary Davis of the Labor De
partment advised the federation in a
recent letter than SO per cent of the
immigrant aliens admitted from Mex
leo during the last year for which
statistics are available-the year end
ing June 80, 1924-were of the Mexi-
ran race. Ninety-four per cent of the
total signified an intention to reside
in the three border States of Texas,
California and Arizona. The number
admitted in that year was 87,64S, of
which $3.50 said they had no occu-
patton, while 41,249 were laborers and
5.227 were skilled laborers.
The situation has led to a revival
of agitation in some quarters that all
Latin American countries and Canada
be placed under the quota law, from
which they now are exempt. One labor
leader has computed that If countries
in this hemisphere were given quota
allowances on the same basis as Eu-
ropean countries, only 1857 Mexicans
and 1858 Canadians could be admit.
ted annually.