Evening star., 1934-01-02
Opposes Russell's View
On immigration Law
To the Editor of The Star:

| 10 IHe EultOT Ol Inc otdE.
I have Just read the article In The
Sunday Star by Mr.. Charles Edward
Russell, In which he assails our immi-
grafton law in these words: "Our stupid
| immigration law. with its pernicious and
| 1l-founded quota arrangement, was
hailed by fanatics as boon and saliva
tior. Rather it should have been
mourned as calamity"
Our immigration law was enacted
after years Of agitation and by an over
| whelmlng vote of both houses of Con-
| gress, which reflected the views C a
| large majority of the American people.
1t was enacted as a measure CT self
preservation. Our shores were being
! peacefully invaded before the enact
ment of this law by immigrant hordes,
which in some years numbered more
| than million persons These immi-
grants had an educational and cultural
background different from ours and
their standards of living differed from
ours. They threatened to undermine
American institutions.
Our immigration law was not enacted,
rs Mr.. Russell intimates, because we
| Americans deemed ourselves superior to
| other races. In my opinion, we are
neither superior nor inferior. But GER
tainly We Americans have a right to
exist in our country equal to the right
which the Italians or Japanese have to
exist IN their country, and when our
race is threatened with extinction by
| immigration hordes we have a right,
both :,gal and moral, to restrict immi-
grafton. 1t seems, however, quite as
difficult for Mr. Russell as for the
japanese to III derstand that our immi-
| grafton law was enacted for self
preserI alton rather than because of any
alleged superiority.
BaSlQg his argument on this funda-
| mentally false assumption, Mr.. Russell
! states that those who favor our pres
| ent immigration law are fanatics Pur-
| SUING this assumption further, he then
tries to prove that we are inferior to
certain races, such as the Italians. He
refers to Mr. La Guardia, mayor of
! New YORK, and to Mr.. Pecora, who
conducted the Senate banking investi-
CATION. 1t Is conceded that under our
American environment these men have
made valuable citizens Mr.. Russell
lnfers that Mr.. La Guardia would be
a gardener and Mr.. Pecora a Sicilian
! toller II their parents had not emf
grated to America. Mr.. Ruszell's argu-
ment indicates that these men would
not have succeeded if they had been
born in the land of their parents birth.
II this be true, as perhaps it is, Mr..
/ Russell should be thankful that We have
an America and that there are enough
red-blooded Americans in It, fanatics
as he calls them, who are anxious to
keep it from being converted into a.
replica of Italy or Sicily.
While one may sympathiZe nth the
praise which Mr.. Russell heaps upon
one particular race OF immigrant, one
| cannot but resent what he says in his
efforts to belittle the American race
He says, L had rather take my chances
with them any day" referring to the
second generation Italians, than with
an equal number Of the descendant 3
CT the sacred MayfoWer; much rather. "
I wonder if he would have rather taken
such chances al Miami when the shot
was fred at President-elect Roosevelt: /:
wonder if the Inflated Mayor Ger
max would rather have taken such
chances.
After all think that we Americans
are able TO manage our own affairs
without abdicating the job for others
> The race that has produced the Magma
Charta, the Declaration Of Independence
the bill Of rights and the common law
should not be ashamed of its achieve
ments. A people that can produce
! such leaders as Washington. jefferson
Lincoln. Wilson, Grant. Lee and the
RooseveltS have no need to turn their
country over to aliens. If others can
prosper under their Caesars and their
Mussolinis let them prosper: but, as
President Coolidge said. America must
be preserved for Americans"
F. WILSON.