Anti-immigration Bill Again Passed by Congress, Awaits President’s Decision

For the second time, both houses of Congress have passed the immigration bill making Japanese exclusion effective July 1st, in spite of the President’s urgent request that it be postponed until March, 1925. The amended report making Japanese exclusion effective this year was quickly adopted by the joint conference this afternoon, and is now in the hands of the President. It was passed by a vote in the House of 308 to 58 and in the Senate by a vote of 69 to 9. Whether the President will veto the bill is still uncertain. At a late hour, the White House spokesmen were non-committal, intimating that no advance statement would be made by the President.

There are strong reasons in favor and against the veto of the bill: Signing it will place America in a delicate position with Japan; while on the other hand, a veto will probably lose to President Coolidge the support of the Pacific Coast states in the presidential election. This is the opinion prevailing in political circles here.

Before the report was adopted by the House, a motion made by Congressman Sabath to recommit the bill to conference, because of its excessive restrictions, was voted down by a vote of 246 to 33. Congressman Sabath fought to the last ditch, but as was anticipated, he lost. If the President vetoes the bill, it is said that those who agree with him on the Japanese feature could, by combining with the liberal immigrationists, who are opposed to the entire bill, prevent it from being passed over the President’s veto. If this should happen, unless a special emergency bill were adopted before June 30th, the present quota law would cease and the doors of America would be opened to immigration with no restriction, save that of moral, literacy and physical requirements.