Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-22
STRICT ALIEN LAW
URGED BY HUSBAND
Advocates More Deporta.
tons of LaWbreakers in
Radio Forum Address.

william W. Husband, the Assistant
Secretary Of Labor, In charge of immi-
grafton, said In radio address last
night that there is sore need" for a
statute under which aliens who per-
sistently violate the laws may be de-
ported without the necessity for indulg-
Ing In "hair-splitting legal discussions
as to whether or not the offenses in
volve moral turpitude."
Speaking In the National Radio
Forum, arranged by The Washington
Star and broadcast over the coast-to-
coast network Of the Columbia Broad
casting System, Mr., Husband pointed
out that of the criminal and immoral
classes" 2.456 were deported in the last
fiscal year.
He expressed the opinion that "the
30 or more existing laws which relate
10 immigration and aliens should be
consolidated In one understandable
statute" and emphasized that under a
statute more clearly defining the re-
sponsibilities Of aliens, "a material In
crease in the deportation Of alien law
breakers would be insured"
PowerIess Against Gangsters.
Pointing that the immigration Serv-
ice cannot convict an alien OF crime,
but can only deport him after he has
been convicted In the courts, Mr.. Hus-
band asserted that failure to convict
notorious gangsters that infest the
great cities" left immigration authori-
ties powerless to proceed against them.
While the law governing the expul-
sion of alien criminals should be
strengthened, he said, the law relating
to deportation for relatively unimpor-
tant causes should be made less severe.
ga policy OF selecting immigrants
within quota limits to meet legitimate
industrial needs should be adopted"
he said.
MIR. husband said that elderly par
of American citizens, ought to be per-
mitted to Join their children In this
country instead Of spending their de-
clining years in the Old World while
waiting for immigration visas under
the quota"
Mr.. husbands address follows. in
full:
There are no satisfactory statistics
showing the extent Of immigration to
this country prior TO 1920. Fragments
of information can be found here and
there In early records and writings, but
there is little upon which to base even
an estimate Of the number Of settlers
who came to America either during the
colonial period, or between the close Of
the Revolutionary war and 1920. How
ever, In 1919 Congress enacted q law
for the protection Of passengers on ships
entering ports of the United States,
and In that law it was provided that
lists or manifests showing the age, sex.
occupation, nationality and country of
destination Of passengers brought to the
United States should be furnished to
the collectors Of customs ct ports Of
arrival. This was the beginning OF our
statistical records Of immigration Dur
ing the 10 years since that law was
enacted It is recorded that $1,000, 600
immigrants have been admitted 10 the
United States, and about e5 per cent
Of this vast number came from Europe.
Law Enacted i'm 1881.
While most of the colonies had laws
regulating immigration, and some of
these laws were very severe ones, the
United States maintained an open-door
policy for more than o century after
the close OF the Revolutionary War. At
times there was good deal Of agitation
I'm favor Of restricting immigration,
notably during the native American and
Know Nothing periods about the middle
of the last century, but no regulatory
until 1882, and the law Of that year
simply denied admission to idiots,
lunatics, persons likely to become public
charges, and convicts, except those con-
victed Of purely political offenses This
law and its successors have been IN the
congressional repair shop for Q con.
siderable part Of the time during the
past 40 years with the result that aliens
now denied admission include something
over 30 more or less specific classes
deemed TO be undesirable on mental,
moral. physical, political or economic
grounds.
In 1884 Congress enacted another Inn
portant law denying admission TO per-
sons brought to the country under
contract to perform labor here. This
act, known Is the contract labor Law,
"a stin IN force and has been Of
iriestimshle value In protecting Amer
lean wage-earners from unfair foreign
competition.
In spite the constantly increasing
gtringency Of our immigration laws
following 1882, the number of immi-
grants coming TO the United States
Increased pretty steadily until for sew
eral years prior to the outbreak Of
the World War the average number
admitted was nearly 1,000, 900 annually.
It cannot be said, however, that q
million immigrants were annually added
b our population for the reason that
IN those years many came only for