Evening star., 1934-05-22

As some amendments of the exist
ing immigration law are before Con-
gress, there is a general discussion of
the merits and dement's of the present
quota system. Changes are advocated
only to relieve hardship in individual
cases without any general letting down
of the bars.
Misfortunes of some who have suf-
fered because of queer turns of the
law furnish the foundation of state
ment by the st. Louis Post-Dispatch
that there is "cruel infleNbinty in the
present law" while the Denver Rocky
Mountain News finds the record If
innocent aliens and their families.
caught in technicalities of the law" a
proper reason for correcting these
senseless and cruel provisions.
The Alliance (Ohio) Review says:
The Ellis Island Committee reported
that since third of the country's
population are either immigrants or
the children of immigrants. and since
only half Of 100000 aliens in the
country in 1880 are as yet naturalized,
the Government has a sizeable task
ahead of it in working out, for the
first time, a socially decent immigra-
ton program. Immigrant families
should be allowed to reunite regard
less of quotas. and aliens here illegally
should be allowed to stay if they have
been good citizens for five years, the
committee urges. Certainly no decent
breadwinner should be deported, leav-
ing wife and children destitute and
dependent upon relief"
Several newspapers find a change
of attitude on both sides of the At
lantic in relation to immigration into
the United States. The Philadelphia
Evening Bulletin observes: The
United States has been the worlds
land of promise for many years, alb
sorbing millions of aliens looking for
better opportunity than their native
lands afforded. None is wise enough
to forecast accurately whether it will
ever again invite peoples of foreign
lands to send their surplus nation
builders here. Just now the United
States has its powers extended trying
to provide subsistence for a surplus
of from 10 to IL millions in popula-
tion-beyond the opportunity yield of
the land of promise" The new con-
dition is viewed by the Boston Tran
script with the conclusion that people
in other parts of the world know that
even in this rich land, depression has
held sway, and jobs have been few and
far between; that, nevertheless, lit is
reasonable to conclude that, for many,
America is still the Land of Promise"
'The country is in a position" ac-
cording to the Indianapolis News, Ito
continue selective immigration on
highly restricted basis for some years.
If it is careful about the health and
character of those whom it admits
and gives fair hearing to every alien
accused of a deportable offenSe, it
should protect it's own workers and
minimize the chance of arousing re-
sentiment abroad. Certainly it should
formulate its immigration policy with
its own interest foremost. The De-
partment of Labor will do well to
remember that it was created to con-
serve the interest of American wage
earners. but, regardless of what it
does, 1t will not be permitted by Con-
gress to forget its duty" The Dayton
(Ohio) Herald takes the position: "A
much-needed change in the laws and
bills will make should provide for the
deportation of any alien convicted of
two or more crimes In this country