Evening star., 1927-03-13
PLANS TO REVISE
!. |MM|CRAT|ONLAW
Representative Johnson, See
ing U. S. Being Undermined,
FavorS Reduced Quotas.
Ry FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

the physical stature of the Americdi,
ueople are being steadily undefinlheu
nv foreign blood, Representative Al
bert johnson, Republican, or WASH
inRton, will ask the seventeen Noii
gress for new and drastic curtaliiileIl'
of immigration. The Dill Which ne
will push to that end would cut the
nresenT total of admissible aliens. from
roundly 100000 to approximately
75 900 II would limit the maximum
quota for any country after July J.
1928. 10 $4,000, which would more
than halve the existing. largest quota
that of Germany, 51,227. The quota
OF Great Britain and northern Ire
land. now 34,007. would also be SER
ousIy affected The Irish Free state $
Immigrant allowance would be whit
tied down by more than 3,00O per
annum
Would Reduce Quotas.
Mr.. Johnson, the veteran chairman
Of the House immigration committee
and principal author of the lmmlgfa'
ton law of 1924. now in force. pro
noses that all quotas shall be reduced
10 per cent a year after July !, 1928,
and until July /, 1888. After that
five.year period the Johnson bill
would restrict the annual quota OF
any nationality to | per cent or the
number of foreign born individuals
of such nationality resident in the
United States as determined by the
1890 census
Discussing his proposed revision OF
the immigration laws, Representative
johnson said to this writer:
II have been a member of the com
mittee on immigration and natural
ization of the House now for IA years.
/ have had the honor TO serve as
chairman of that committee Tor 8
years. / have read many thousands
of appeals. from naturalized citizens
all immigrants, in behalf of their rel
atives in various parts of Europe. l
have heard the oral testimony before
the committee of hundreds of such
witnesses. | have been appealed 10
personally i'm my office; at the doors
sof the House of Representatives; at
the doors of my residence in Wash
ington. as we'll as at my home in the
State of Washington. | have READ
about everything | could find on the
subject of immigra ton, and | think
] am able to determine about the date
when too much immigration for the
country's ultimate good began to
( flow into the United States.
Gives Result of His Studies.
II fix that time at about the period
the protective tariff principle became
the keystone in the American eco
nomic arch. AS result of my studies,
observations and interviews among
foreign elements l am convinced
that the great bulk of the immigrant
tide that flowed onto our soil in the
4 ,lr< 30 nNf1n sV,dr tcfYst toI n
sion came with the best of intentions.
But the traditions they brought here
were those of the countries of their
origin.
What has been the result of this
alien deluge which for a long stretch
OF time reached the dimensions of
more than a million fresh arrivals a
year? Our traditions began to change,
and with them, our customs. The
transition was hardly noticeable at
first, but suddenly we awakened to
nnd about everything changed. Our
literature is undergoing change al
this very moment. Who would have
thought % years ago that in 1927
American publishers with strange
sounding names would turn out books
too filthy for even the most decadent
European country? l. am persuaded
cent and vulgar lierature oozfng from
the printing presses of the United
States threatens to poison American
public life at its foundations.
Stage Deterioration Cited
"To the same causes / trace the
deteriora ton of the American stage,
now in great part a nude, cheap and
immoral stage. Methods in our pub
lie schools have changed The grade
schools and even the high schools
have had to slow down so as not to
get too far ahead of the children who
mixture. / know that bright and bril-
liant children are to be found in that
mixture, and even geniuses, but the
average is down. Even the stature
of our people in the larger cities is
changing.
"The character of our newspapers
is changing. Too few of them now
attempt to lead where a quarter of a
century ago they did lead an intelli-
gent, constructive public. The tab
loid newspaper, with it's trash and OBJ
scenity, is making it harder and hard.
er for the substantial, clean journal
to reach the everyday mass of our
population. ] attribute nearly all of
these conditions to the forces of the
people arrived among us since 1900
though by no means charging II
against any one particular branch OF
foreign people"
Thinks Congress Favors.
Representative Johnson was asked
II he believes that congressional sen.
timent favors immigration revision
downwards.
1.-The thinking public" he replied
senses all of this, | am sure, anC
/ am satisfied that the feeling in the
House of Representatives is for more
and more restriction of immigration
/ do not believe it possible to CHECK
the movement for greater restriction
Interested organizations may cry ou
for more and cheaper labor; farmer
may cry for imported serf.like farm
hands; women may think that the!
need servants from abroad, but al
intelligent citizens, when they an
alyZe the situation, will see that S
many such arrivals must bring dow
the standards. Even our people no
more than two generations ava
from the old countries want re
striction.
Outlines Proposed Bill.
"As the complexion of the mex
House and Senate will be highly re
strictionist, / feel safe in laying ou
a program that probably will include
among other things, the following
Quotas or restriction for the countrie
LIZ I'm