transcription of a foreign newspaper

ZNANJE, VOL. II, No. 1, APRIL 7 1919

RADICAL CHANGES IN IMMIGRATION LAWS

According to the information from the commissioner of immigration, A.Warner Parker, a bill will be introduced in the coming session of Congress calling for an amendment to the present immigration laws, to prevent the entry of undesirable elements to this country.

Parker's statement is the first indication of an amendment to said laws. According to this new law, every immigrant will have to state why this country has to accept his entry. Before, anybody who wanted it could enter the United States. Experience during the last war showed that another procedure is needed.

Registration every year. The immigrant will have to register as long as he does not obtain his final citizenship papers.

At each registration the immigrant will be examined on how far he progressed in his knowledge of civics. If he fails to register he will be deported.

At each registration a certain fee will be charged. But accordijng to his progress in reading, writing and the knowledge of the English language, this fee will be bigger or smaller.

Those who are already here will have to register also. Each registrant will have to bring his photographic picture, which will be filed with the office. The said system has the purpose of making good citizens out of immigrants amd makes them learn English and become Americanized. This law will not be a spy system over immigrants, but a means to prove whether they are worthy to become citizens or not. If they are not, they will be deported to the country from where they came.

Time of Trial. The same law provides to allow the immigrant a stay in this country under bond. If this bond is not at hand upon the entry of the immigrant, the bond will be deducted from his wages later. The bond will be deposited with the postal savings bank and returned to the immigrant when it is decided to let him remain in this country. In case of deportation this bond will be taken along as savings, to the country of his destination.

Inspectors on all boats. According to the law passed before America's entry into the war, illiterates must not be admitted into this country. On all boats which carry immigrants, there will be American inspectors. These inspectors will sail on the boats to American ports, where they will decide on the fitness of the immigrants for entry into this country. They will obtain information about the immigrants from the authorities abroad. These informations will be of great value for the American immigration office.

Before the war the immigrant boats were under the control of foreign governments, which opposed the presence of American inspectors on those boats.

Now America has its own boats on which inspectors can be placed. By such control the character of the immigrant will be determined.

From now on the immigrants will be divided into three groups: (1) Those who will be admitted without question into this country. (2) Those who will be rejected, undoubtedly. (3) Those who will be put on trial for a certain time. That will settle what kind of citizens we will get.

It is hard to tell what will happen with the immigration when peace is concluded. Not many will leave America, said the Commissioner. America is able to show that there is an opportunity for an existence for anybody. For that reason America will have more immigrants than emigrants.