Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-24
ssNATIONAL ORIGINS" STIRS
CONGRESS ONCE MORE
Racial Rancors, 1t Is Feared, viii Follow
Fresh Discussion of VexatioNs
immigration Problem.

not to report out the resolution That
meant that unless Congress should over
ride the action of the committee, there
would be no further postponement and
the national origins basis would take
effect July next National origins"
was back with all its old vitality.
Quick Action Necessary.
The time was short. It was on Feb
ruary Is that the Senate committee re-
fused to act. There were but 10 work.
ing days of Congress in which to over
ride the action of the committee.
Nevertheless, probably two-thirds OF
the lower house and fully half the Sem
ate wanted to get rid of national
origins" Both houses, in two previous
years, have twice voted to postpone It.
The lower house voted once to repeal
1t altogether.
The controversy about national
origins" and the difference between it
and the present basis Is not concerned
with the total of immigration permitted
TO come In. Everybody admits that.
AS respects the total, there Is no mate
rial difference between national origins
and the present basis. The present
basis, the census of 1890. admits q total
Of 164,667. National origins would let
in 155,685.
But there is a difference between ma
ti0nal origins and the present basis
otherwise there would not be so much
controversy. The difference lies In the
numbers permitted to come IN from
each country. As 1t was put by Sena-
tor Robinson of Arkansas:
NThe real difference between the two
provisions Is that the national origins
clause would have the effect Of read
iusting quotas of certain nationalities,
giving more to some and less to others,
than are admitted under the provision
now in force"
Senator Reed Of Pennsylvania put 1t
more concretely. He pointed out that
under the present basis:
Germany has quota Of 81, 22T. or
nearly one-third, of all the quota immi-
grafton into the United States ..
whereas, the persons of German origin
in the United States are less than one
sixth
Effect of Changes.
The change that would be wrought
by the national origins basis can be
expressed In figures. The following list
gives the number of aliens now per-
mitted to come in from each Of several
important European countries under the
present basis:
England. Scotland, North Ireland sz.ooa
Irish Free State. .s............. 28,56T
sweden ..............s..... 9,ool
Norway ...........s........ 6,453
Those are the annual numbers per-
mitted to come in now, under the pres
ent basis, 2 per cent applied to tn
census of 1890.
The following figures show the num-
bers that win be permitted TO come in
from the same countries after July
into effect:
England. Scotland, North Ireland 1884
Irish Free State. ............4. 1Z427
sweden .................... S,Sy9
norway ..............s..... z'4VS
1t viii be observed that under the
new national origins basis four of those
nations would suffer losses in the num-
Der of alians from them permitted to
come to America. The losses would be:
Germany ...................... 26,3l9
Irish Free State. ............... 11,14O
sweden .................,. 6,l01
norway .........s.s...s.... ~.-.r.4 ,Uoe
One nation, Great Britain (includine
North Ireland), would make consider
able gain. 1887.
Therein lies the heart of the contro-
versay about national origins" One
important nation, Great Britain Tex
GLIDING Irish Free State) would be per-
mitted to send in more immigrants.
Several other nations, including Irish
Free State, would have their quotas