a.-YA . /9V4 J\ . u fT National Committee FOR Constructive Immigration Legislation PRINCIPLES PROGRAM 105 East 22d Street New York City Outlines of the Proposals of the National Committee for Con- structive Immigration Legislation The urgent need of revising our immi- gration laws is widely recognized. Our present laws do not meet the situation — they are obsolete. After a brief period of emigration, many anticipate a fresh flood of immigration whose proportions no one can forecast. Labor unrest is increasing. Organized labor is demanding complete stoppage of immigration. Pre-war immigration produced many serious problems. We admitted immi- grants regardless of our economic condi- tions and needs and of their capacity to live wholesomely here. We had among us vast masses of aliens of many nationalities and we had no effective pro- vision for fitting them for life here as a part of our democracy. For a generation we have been enacting and enforcing laws violating treaties with China. These laws have been producing international irritation. For lack of suitable laws the United States is not able to fulfil its treaty obligations for the protection of aliens of any land. America now needs a sound scientific policy for dealing comprehensively and constructively with all these problems. 2 Principle* Legislation dealing with these matters should be controlled by the following principles : 1. The United States should so regu- late, and, where necessary, restrict immigration as to provide that only so many immigrants of each race or people may be admitted as can be wholesomely Americanized. 2. The number of those individuals of each race or people already in the United States who have become Americanized affords the best basis of the measure for the further im- migration of that people. 3. American standards of living should be protected from the dangerous economic competition of immi- grants, whether from Europe or from Asia. 4. No larger amount of total immigra- tion should be admitted than we can steadily employ. 5. Such provision for the care of aliens residing among us should be made as will promote their rapid and genuine Americanization and thus maintain intact our democratic institutions and national unity. 6. The Federal Government should be empowered by Congress to protect the lives and property of aliens. 7. All legislation dealing with immi- 3 gration and with resident aliens should be based on justice and good will as well as on economic and political considerations. Program for Legislation On the basis of these principles, the National Committee for Constructive Im- migration Legislation has formulated a number of specific proposals for legis- lation. 1. Regulation of the Rate of Immigra- tion The maximum permissible annual im- migration from any people should be a definite per cent (say between three and ten) of those from that people who have already become citizens. 2. Registration of Aliens All resident aliens should be required to register and to keep registered until they become American citizens or leave the country. 3. Distribution of Aliens Effective plans should be formed for the wholesome distribution of aliens. 4. The Education of Aliens for Citizen- ship The Federal Government should under- take more effective methods for the training of aliens for citizenship than the present laws provide. Adequate funds, moreover, should be provided for this important task. 4 5. Higher Standards for Naturalization The naturalization laws should be amended so as to include among other requirements at least the ability to read an ordinary American newspaper and a knowledge of the history of America and the practices and ideals of our democracy. 6. Equal Treatment for all Peoples Linder the foregoing provisions and rigid limitations as to numbers and qualifications, the right to acquire citi- zenship should be given to all who qualify, regardless of race. 7. Adequate Protection for Aliens Congress should enact a law enabling the Federal Government to exercise immediate jurisdiction in any case in- volving the protection of and justice to aliens. The treaties place this respon- sibility on the Federal Government but no laws as yet give it this power. 8. An Immigration Commission For the administration of the above measures the National Committee pro- poses that Congress shall establish an Immigration Commission to consist of the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Commerce, and a third man to be appointed by the President, with spe- cific instructions and powers for deal- ing with immigration matters. The foregoing statement, because of its necessary brevity, leaves wholly unde- 5 fined many matters of detail, the right settlement of which, however, is essential to the success of the proposed policy. These have been formulated and ex- plained in two pamphlets dealing with “Our Immigration and Naturalization Laws” and “Immigration Statistics and Charts.” THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE In the autumn of 1917 a small group of students of immigration problems issued a leaflet entitled “Tentative Proposals for Constructive Immigration Legisla- tion.” This was sent to selected individ- uals who were invited to become mem- bers of a National Committee to promote this program in case “one thousand lead- ing citizens in all parts of the United States can be found who will endorse and support these proposals.” By the close of 1918 more than one thousand had expressed this approval and endorsement. In January, 1^9, a two- day conference of experts in immigration and legislative matters Avas held in Wash- ington to frame a draft of a bill embody- ing the “Tentative Proposals.” The re- sult was published in March in a pam- phlet entitled “Our Immigration and Naturalization Laws.” In June, 1919, the Committee on Immi- gration and Naturalization of the House of Representatives gave six hearings to the National Committee. The House Committee was invited to adopt the prin- 6 ciples here advocated and to prepare a bill of its own along these lines. The National Committee would prefer not to present a bill distinctively its own. Equality of Race Treatment The National Committee profoundly realizes the seriousness of the problems raised by race differences in matters of immigration and naturalization. It recog- nizes that the control of immigration is a fundamental right of every nation ; and it holds that races markedly different from those in effective possession of any land ought not to emigrate to that land in numbers so large as to cause economic, political, or social disorders. For the maintenance of good neighborliness be- tween peoples racially different it should be mutually recognized that emigration of large numbers of either race to the land of the other, is fraught with danger. Such immigration should, therefore, be regulated and rigidly restricted, if pos- sible, by mutual consent. For the purposes, however, of mutual acquaintance and good will, for the re- moval of race prejudice and for the mu- tual exchange of each other’s industrial and cultural achievements, it is impor- tant that provision should be made for a limited reciprocal immigration, especially of the higher and better educated classes. In order that such limited immigration may secure its best results, the Commit- tee holds that "most favored nation treat- 7 ment” should be accorded to all such admitted aliens in matters of economic opportunity and political rights. Differ- ential and discriminatory treatment of lawfully resident aliens based exclusively on difference of race cannot fail to irritate and humiliate not only the individuals im- mediately affected but also the people in their home land. For the reasons thus briefly stated the National Committee advocates a policy on the one hand of regulation of immigra- tion and on the other hand of full eco- nomic and political opportunity to those actually admitted. 1. The regulation of immigration should be provided for by a method which, while applicable equally to all peo- ples and therefore free from invidious discrimination in principle, shall also recognize and provide for those impor- tant differences in the adaptability to -Americanization of diverse races and peo- ples, which are widely acknowledged. (a) As large an opportunity for im- migration should be given to peoples closely related to us ethnologically and therefore easily Americanized and in- corporated into our body politic, as eco- nomic conditions may justify, and no more. fb) Only so much of an opportunitv for immigration should be given to peoples markedly unlike us ethnologic- ally and therefore difficult of American- S ization and incorporation into our body politic, as their proven capacity for the same may make feasible, and no more. 2. Under the foregoing provisions and limitations full economic and political op- portunity should be granted to every per- manently resident alien who qualifies for such privileges, regardless of his race. * * * The National Committee believes that its concrete proposals- for Constructive Immigration Legislation embody the above principles and will secure the de- sired results. The plan is scientific and flexible, capable of continuous adjust- ment to our changing economic condi- tions. It will in practice place no restric- tion on immigration from Northwest Europe, it will restrain immigration from South, Central and Eastern Europe, vary- ing according to the actual percentage rate adopted, and it will permit only a small, practically neglible immigration from China and Japan, both now and in the future. In a word, the proposed law will admit as immigrants only as many from each people as we can hope to Americanize and steadily employ. It will help protect American labor, prevent sudden influx from any new people, stabilize business, raise standards of citizenship and promote intelligent patriotism. It will at the same time harmonize America’s treatment of Chinese with our treaty obligations, which obligations are 9 violated by some of our present laws, according to the judgment of the Supreme Court of the United States. The time has surely come to repeal our treaty- breaking laws and to apply the Golden Rule and the plain principles of interna- tional honor to our relations with the Chinese and with every people. Invitation to Membership Every American citizen who believes in the foregoing proposals for the scien- tific regulation of immigration and desires to co-operate in its enactment into law is invited to become a member of this Move- ment. There are no prescribed member- ship dues. Each member is asked to spread the knowledge of this plan and to aid in securing new members. The ex- tent and energy of our campaign of edu- cation depends, of course, on the interest and contributions of those who believe in it. Correspondence is invited. Pamphlets presenting our proposals in full detail will be sent on application. Executive Committee Pro Tern Hamilton Holt, .Acting Chairman Sidney L. Gulick, Secretary John Collier, .Associate Secretary -Albert G. Lawson, .Acting T reasurer J. B. Andrews Mrs. Harry M. Bremer Stephen P. Dugca.n Charles Stelzle