Evening star., 1932-07-17
BY GASTON NERVAL.

BY GASTON NERVAL.
TOR the first time in the history
i natives Of the other 20 American
republics Is being seriously con-
sidered by the Congress now in session.
, A study Of the changes in the 1mmi-
grafton policy of the United States Is
the best confirmation Of the fact that
international relations are based much
more on materialistic interests that
idealists would care to admit.
George Washington said. more than
$50 years ago: you cannot trust any
nation any further than its own inter-
ests may dictate"
OF course, the founder Of the United
States was referring to the other pow
ers of the world, with the jealousies
newly born Republic was struggling at
the time. But history has shown, since
then. that Washington's country is Ger
| rule.
Example Followed.
After all. this Is only natural. In
| molding, modifying. stretching or con-
| tracing its international policies to mt
| its own varying needs, even at the sac
rifice of fundamental principles. the
! United States has merely followed the
example Of all the other nations Of the
world which, at one time or another,
could afford to do so.
Its inconsistencies are not more nu-
merous than those Of the other powers
which preceded 1t m exercising world
| influence. Each nation shapes its poll
cies according to its own necessities and
| advantages.
Every country is looking out for it
self. Under our present social and
! political organization-sad as 1t is to
admit it-anything else would be
! foolish.
This selfishness Of nations. unless
it encroaches upon the rights Of others
is not to be condemned. It is purely a
logical, a human tendency. Just as
! logical as the selflshness Of individuals
And equally moved by self-preservatior
and progress the two basic laws OF al
natural existence.
When the selflshness Of a particular
nation is far-reaching and enlightened,
when its benefits reach beyond her own
! borders. and other nations share them
such selfshness is even praise deserving
1t is a noble selfshness which looks
out for the neighbors' good.
Open immigration Policy.
Such a thing happened. for instance
when. at the beginning Of the Republic,
the statesmen Of this country adopted
| the most generous and open immigra-
ton policies. They did SO, primarily
because it was to the advantage of the
young nation TO receive the fortifying in
! lection of foreign immigration. But
in doing it. they also favored the peoples
| of all corners of, the earth, who were
eager to seek greater opportunities and
a happier life on this side of the At
lantic.
Among the principles which the
founders of the United States an
| nounced to the world at the end OF
the eighteenth century the right OF
every man to travel and change resi-
dence at will was prominent. 1t was
considered indispensable to the enjoy.
ment Of those three fundamental anc
"inalienable" rights-life, liberty anC
| the pursuit of happiness-with which
''all men are endowed by their Creator.
These United States we're to be thu
promised land for all the free men o.
the world. The prohibitions and restric-
| tions of the old continent across th'
ocean would find no room in this new
country where liberty and equality were
at last, to reign among men.
| Asylum for Refugees.
The new nation was to be an asylum
for political and religious refugees anc
the socially doWntrodden. a land where
the sun of freedom and of economic
opportunity had forever dissipated the
mists of religious bigotry, political OBJ
scurantism and social oppression.
The founders of the United State:
were certainly sincere in their convic-
tions. But it may not be venturesomt
to add that the eagerness and enthu-
siasm with which they proclaimed theil
noble principles had perhaps something
to do with the necessities of the United
States at that particular time.
At least, their humanitarian anc
liberal principles happened to coincide
perfectly. with such interests. The
United States. all during that time, was
very much in need of new blood, o.
more people, of foreign people who
would settle large parts Of its huge
territory and help in the construction o.
that gigantic national experiment which
was to bring one day the material su'
premacy of the world over to this sidt
Of the ocean.
Immigrants were wanted for labor II
1
South: the slave trade was an extreme
example of assisted immigration" FOL
economic development.
| Call for Laborers.
Lands beyond the Coastal Plain yert
available for settlement to persons o.
small means. Industrial opportunitle!
we're created by the growth of manufac'
lures in New England and the Middle
Atlantic States, to such an extent tina
laws were passed facilitating the I'M
portation of contract laborers.
BefoSe the demand for people to nj
the western lands had declined, indus
try began to respond to the stimulus o1
an increased domestic market. And
call arose for laborers In coal ana lror
mining, in the smelling and refining Of
ore for steel, in the mechanical indus
tries and in almost every branch o.
manufacturing and mining.
| Western States flooded Europe WITH
| literature containing alluring pictures o'
the advantages of life within their bor-
ders. Large corporations maintained
agents abroad who recruited laborerS by
offering prepaid tickets.
No wonder 36,000 900 people entered
the United States in the nineteenth
century to develop the country!
Different Situation Develops.
But as the nineteenth century ad-
vanced and American wealth and num-
bers increased, very different situa-
ton developed. With the solution ol
the slavery DrOblem as an American