3^4 



The Journal of Hereciity 



Finally, on Sept. 15, Assistant Secre- 

 tary Henning added, 



Those in control of the Hood of 

 aliens coming into this countr\- 

 deliberately exceed the monthly 

 c|uotas. and depi-nd upon compelling 

 us, %vith their sob stories and tales of 

 families being separated, to permit 

 the law to be disregarded. 

 Patriotic Americans, in whose hearts 

 Patriotism is above Pocket-Book, can- 

 not give too much praise to President 

 Harding, Secretary Davis, Assis- 

 tant Secretary Henning and Commis- 

 sioner-Cieneral Husband, for their firm 

 stand on this whole (|Uestion of the 

 enforcement of the law. In the face of 

 aggressive, persistent and thoroughly 

 organized opposition on the part of 

 selfish interests, they have held their 

 groimd, tempering the enforcement of 

 the immigration laws of the United 

 .States with the utmost possible justice 

 and humanity. The\' deserve well of 

 their country, and they may be assured 

 of the support and high commendation 

 of the vast majority of plain Americans, 

 who are not organized to work for the 

 enforcement of these laws, and who 

 seldom take it wpon themselves to 

 make their views known to (Govern- 

 ment ofificials, either personally or by 

 writing. The highest commendation 

 is also due to the Senators and Rejire- 

 sentatives who, in the face of fierce and 

 bitter opposition, hea\ily financed and 

 thoroughly organized, secured the 

 passage through Congress of the new 

 Act. To Senator nillingham of Ver- 

 mont and his supporters in the Senate, 

 and to Congressman .Albert Johnson of 

 WashingtcMi, Chairman of the House 

 Connnittee on hnmigration and his 

 staimch supporters on his Committee 

 and in the House, the country owes a 

 great debt of gratitude which it will 

 not forget. 



THE NEW LAW VINDICATED 



The percentage law, in spite of its 

 (Tudities and of difTiculties in its 

 enforcement, has bei-n abundantly 

 vindicated. Imnu'gration was fast 

 assuming its |)re-war rate when the new 

 law went into effect. .Although it did 



not begin to function imtil early in 

 June, the Commissioner-General esti- 

 mated that it probably reduced immi- 

 gration in that one inonth by about 

 50,()()(). .As one of the Washington 

 correspondents puts it, 



IncidentalK', the sudden appearance 

 of unemployment in America illus- 

 trates the wisdom of the act restrict- 

 ing immigration, which was passed 

 during the first few weeks of Hard- 

 ing's administration. Otherwise, our 

 unemplo\'ment problem might have 

 been greath' increased. Throughout 

 the world great niunbers of human 

 beings ha\-e been displaced b\' war 

 and post-war conditions. These 

 derelicts float towards us as inevi- 

 tably as water flows down hill. 

 There was some degree of truth, 

 although more mere cleverness, in 

 the saying that America was 

 becoming the "cesspool" of the 

 human race. . . . The new law 

 puts a limit, e\'en if only a loose and 

 partial limit, on the number of immi- 

 grants who can increase and compli- 

 cate our unemployment problem. 



SUGGESTIONS FOR FL'TLRE LEGISLATION 



The >VV^ Limitation Act expires on 

 June 30, PJ22. What shall take its 

 place? The "emergency" which led to 

 its adoption still exists, and will con- 

 tinue to exist. There is no longer an 

 "emergency." We are facing a perma- 

 nent condition of rapidly increasing 

 and of steadily deteriorating immigra- 

 tion. And there are millions of pro- 

 specti\e inunigrants o\erseas who are 

 simply waiting for the 30th of June, 

 when they will rush in, in a seething, 

 chaotic mob, unless Congress takes 

 steps to stop them. 



A calm, imprejudiced sur\'(>y of 

 past legislation, and of the workings of 

 the temporars' 3' (, restrittiNe law, 

 leads the writer to the following conclu- 

 sions regarding the liiu's along which 

 our new ligislation should be phmned. 



I'irst : Tin- percentage limitation 

 principle, long and strongly ad\ocated 

 by leading authorities, shouhl be made 

 permanent. Whether this should be 

 the present 3^^, leased simpK- on the 



