Mr. I. Sonenthal, writes in the “Jewish Daily News” about Mr. Davis, Secretary of Labor and his recommendations on the immigration laws submitted in his annual report to Congress a few days ago.
“It is to be seen that Mr. Davis is not satisfied with the restrictions contained in the immigration law of 1924. He desires still more stringent restrictions. It is true that he says he desires to carry through admiinstrative reforms that will show more mercy toward the unfortunate wanderers. But his ‘mercy’ is only a pretense from which the immigrants will gain nothing.
“Evidently Mr. Davis’ ‘mercy’ has reference to his pet idea of ‘selective immigration’. At present the Labor Department has power over the immigrants only when they arrive at the portals of Ellis Island. Mr. Davis wants to extend his regime across the oceans.
“Our Secretary of Labor desires that his officials in Europe be empowered to help in selecting the prospective immigrants, so that those who have no possibility of being admitted to this country be spared the trouble and expense of the trip. This sounds good on the surface. But Mr. Davis declares in the next breath that the inquisitorial system of Ellis Island will continue as before; an immigrant thoroughly examined and inspected on the other side will not be exempt from a second inspection at Ellis Island and the danger of being sent back back after all.
“All other proposals made by Mr. Davis breathe the same spirit.”
ANTI-SEMITES DO NOT CARE WHEN THE JEWS ARRIVED
The “Forward” of Dec. 6 contains some remarks from the pen of B. Rozman on the recent sermon of Chancellor Austen, of the York Cathedral in England, who asserted that the Jews came to England before the Englishmen themselves. Mr. Rozman wonders if this news will have an effect on the anti-Semites in England.
“We know that the Jews came to America much earlier than the ancestors of the present American aristocrats. No one denies that there were Jews on Columbus’ vessel, and it is even believed by many that Columbus too was a Jew. But that does not prevent our government from enacting laws to keep out as many Jewish immigrants as possible. Will the English anti-Semites become friends of the Jews because of the fact that Jews settled in England before any Englishman set foot on it? We are afraid not The anti-Semites do not care where the Jews come from and when they arrived. They simply hate them because. They are Jews.”
HOPES MUCH FROM CHURCHES’ OPPOSITION TO ANTI-SEMITISM
The reports that the conference of the Federation of Churches in Atlanta may put the question of anti-Semitism on its agenda for consideration is regarded as an auspicious sign by the “Jewish Daily News” in an editorial of Dec. 4.
“The churches in America can accomplish a great deal in combatting anti-Semitism by coming out in open determined opposition against the activities of Henry Ford and his like. Their voice will be heard. There is no problem which it is more urgent morally for the churches to take up than that of anti-Semitism”, says the “Jewish Daily News”.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
