Evening star., 1928-12-17

The ease with which the borders of
the United States may be passed by
persons from Mexico and Canada is
brought to public attention by the re-
port of Secretary Davis of the Depart
ment of Labor, who proposes that some
means be provided for strengthening
the immigration law to stop border
leaks"
That Mr.. Davis sis needlessly alarmed
by a court decision on Canadian COM
muters is the conviction of the Chicago
Daily News. which declares that his
"apprehensions are rather gratuitous." !"
and offers the assurance: Canada it
self has adopted markedly restrictive
immigration policy and is not likely to
admit armies of offensive aliens in order
to spite the United States. In the sec
ond place, commuters have to live within
very short distances of the American
border to be able to work in the United
States and maintain residences in Cana
da. In the third place, American employ
ers are amenable to public sentiment as
well as to trade-union sentiment, so that
thousands of good jobs probably will
not be taken away from American resi-
dents and given to Canadian commuters.
Congress should not permit itself to be
stampeded by imaginary perils into un-
friendly action toward Canada"
X x y
Quite a different view is taken by
some other observers. OF the court
rulings which provide that residents OF
Canada or Mexico may come into the
United States without regard for the
quota provision" the Utica Observer
Dispatch says: 1.-THE catch in this de-
cision is that foreign-born residents of
Canada or Mexico may enter the coun-
try. In other words, the courts point
out to all persons desiring to lmmigrate
to the United States that if they first
establish their residence in Canada or
Mexico the quota will not keep them
out. Tightening up the i'm
migration bars TO make the law do
what it was intended to do is of far
more Importance to the welfare of the
country than farm relief tariff revi-
sion, reapportionment and dozen other
problems before Congress"
"A knotty problem" is recognized by
the Lansing State Journal. which thinks
that the handling of the Mexican quota
will be a particularly delicate task.
From similar point of view the New
Orleans Times-Picayune advises: The
problem of too-large Mexican imml-
grafton may solve itself as conditions
1t should in any case be solved in a way
that would not give offense or just
cause of complaint to the other coun-
tries of the Western Hemisphere"
ANY action" in the opinion OF the
New York Evening Post, should be con-
fined to stopping the loopholes that
might admit flood OF aliens. The orig
inal purpose of the quota law, which
has worked so well, must be preserved
x ss* x
Quick action is held imperative by
the San Bernardino Sun, with the con-
tention that unless there is, immedi-
ately, strengthening of the immigration
laws big holes are to be driven through
the quota provisions. Several techni-
calities in addition to the Canadian
situation have developed, and several
hundred court actions are pending"
THE administration. through Secre-
tary Davis" states the New Orleans
Item, proposes legislation to limit Mex
lean entries to 1000 a year. Mexican
immigration now reaches about 10000.
The proposal is logical enough If the
general immigration policv is to be
assumed. For there Is no special rea-
son-unless proximity be reason-Why
quota preferences should be allowed to
Mexico as against Spain or Italy. The
will be approved by organized
labor and by Others favoring the most
rigid exclusion. It will be opposed by
some industrial and agricultural in
terests which contend that the country
needs more labor"
IF the quota is to be applied to Mex
leo and all South American countries"
says the Waco NeWsTribune. then
why not apply 1t to the Canadian prov
inces? Canada and South American
republics are the best customers of the
United States They do their buying
in the United States. They are not
war-ridden lands. They are neighbors
of Uncle Sam"
X
It Is talksa for granted by the Gin
cinnati Tines Star that anu antion