Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-11
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

| Bureau three years to construe the
law of 1924, and Minister Massey
| thinks that that delay gives aggra-
walton to the injustice of the law
actually violates what amount to
vested rights" Of "nunc pro tune"
There are from 1000 to 5000 Cana
dian subjects of his majesty who
cross from Windsor to Detroit every
morning and back to Windsor each
night, earning while in Detroit some
s. to $40 for eight hours work.
While that number is not a great
percentage of the total population of
| Canada, it amounts to some Is per
cent of all wage earners of Windsor
and to shut them off from their De-
| troit jobs suddenly would be a calam-
, ity. 1t would also be demoralizing to
Detroit employers. However, with
in the last six months, there has been
in Detroit very serious non-em-
| ployment depression, which resulted
from a slump in automobile manu-
facture. There were some 10000
men and women out of employment
and it is alleged that due to that
situation the local labor unions have
brought pressure to bear upon the
! immigration Bureau to enforce the
law against this unfair" competition
of Canadians. The local situation
now has eased somewhat, but the
movement toward enforcement of
the law had already gained mo-
mentum. The Department Of Labor,
including its Bureau of Immigration,
is executive and has no discretionary
latitude in enforcing whatever law
is passed by Congress and signed
by the President-until upset by a
court ruling as to it's constitution
atty.
Minister Massey argues in his let
ter to Secretary of State Kellogg,
''the Canadian laws make no distinc.
ton between citizens of Canadian
birth and those of British or foreign
birth. who have acquired citizenship
by domicile or naturalization, Just as
the laws OF the United States make
no distinction between native-born and
naturalized citizens"
The American defenders of our law
reply that we are not concerned as to
what are Canadian laws of citizenship,
for our immigration restriction law
of 1924 does rot grant a non-quota
basis to Canadian citizens" but only
to Canadian natives. That does not
include any Canadian citizens not
born in Canada.
II even the Jay treaty be found to
admit British-born natives. that would
under no circumstances affect French.
born Canadian citizens. However. a
legalistic version reverts to the Ian
guage of the Jay treaty, covering not
merely those people born in Canada,
but all of Ibis majesty's subjects;
and the Canadians declare that their
own laws apply, without foreign def
milton, in making anybody "his males
tvs subjects" How long will it take
Congress to denounce the Jay treaty
ana recover unquestioned right to eX-
clude such Canadians as it sees At to
exclude without the limitation of a
passe treaty? is asked by the ultra
restrictionists.
In the meanwhile, the order, No.
SO, OF the Department of Labor gives
the affected ones six months within
which to procure immigration quota
visas, emitting them to inlnigrate
legally into the United States: then
they will be entitled to Journey out
of our country whenever they want to
go to bed in Canada and to return
"home"-here-in the morning, Be.
fore the end OF the six months grace
Congress will be in session, and the
tempest in the English o'clock tea.
pot will have blown over.
tCouyright. 1927. by Paul ". collins)