Evening star., 1933-06-25

being forced down to cheap standard
of comfort.
The same thing was beginning to
happen on the Pacific Coast under Chi
nese immigration; but, fortunately, it
did not last long enough to produce its
worst results. This form of cheap labor
was driving a wedge between the en-
ploying and the working classes. It was
enriching the one class, the builders Of
railroads and other large enterprises. 1t
was beginning to impoverish the work
ing classes by reducing their wages and
increasing unemployment. It was not
because this labor was Chinese, but be-
cause it was cheap, that these results
logically happened. Any other kind of
cheap labor in equal quantities would
have produced the same results. Had
it not been for Chinese exclusion or at
least a rigid restriction, the Pacific
Coast would soon have had its wealthy
aristocracy and it's poor whites. Later
it would have had only Chinese. Japa-
nese immigration was tending in the
same direction, but that danger was also
warded OF.
THERE is nothing in the character Of
Filipino, Mexican or West Indian
labor to differentiate it from Negro, Chi
nese or japanese. They are all alike in
the one essential character Of being
cheap. Differences in culture, tradition,
color or language do not change the re-
suits. Since they all supply cheap labor
they all produce the result of enriching
those who can hire it, but impoverishing
those who have to compete with it. If
permitted to continue long enough they
will all widen the gap between classes.
They will all support small class IN
aristocratic comfort and create large
class Of poor whites"
These cheap immigrant laborers from
the Philippines, Mexico and the West
Indies produce, also, race problems to
add to our difficulties. It seems to some
that we have race problems enough
already. A few years ago, when Philip
pine immigrants were numerous, there
were race riots in California. Earlier.
when Chinese immigrants were numer-
Gus, there were anti Chinese riots; later
there were anti-Japanese riots. The
same conditions will produce anti-Mexi-
can riots.
There Is danger that our people will
be lulled into security by the small VOL
ume Of immigration at present. We
need to look ahead to the time when
there will be more employment. We
need to conserve the opportunities for
employment for our own people. It Is
not sign Of generosity to give away
other peoples jobs. If we wait until q
heavy tide Of immigration sets in again,
much injury will be done before we can
get the needed legislation If we refuse
to act now because there is little immi-
grafton, and can't act later promptly
enough to save the situation, we shall
be about as wise as the Ozarkian who
couldn't put a roof on his house while
it was raining and didn't need one when
it wasn't raining.
IF Asiatic immigration were not ex-
cluded or close restricted it would be
possible, in the course of time, for hun
dreds of millions of Oriental coolies to
come to our shores. Eventually they
would displace our own people and make
our country an Asiatic colony as our
people once made it European colony
by displacing the Indians. You may say
that this would be poetic justice-but
who wants poetic justice meted out to
his own people in that way? If that
result had been permitted, some artist
of the future might paint another pic
ture and called it "The End Of the