The House and Senate conferees on the Copeland Naturalization Bill met in final session late Tuesday and, in order to break the deadlock caused by the refusal of Congressmen Johnson and Sabath to sign the previous conferees’ agreement, voted to change the bill, legalizing the status of aliens who entered illegaly up to July 1, 1921, instead of up to July 1, 1924, as provided in the original Copoland bill passed by the Senate. Thus Congressman Johnson won the battle which he had been conducting against extending the date to 1924. Johnson threatened, in such an event, to lead a fight for defeat of the measure on the floor of the House. The Senate conferees therefore yielded, accepting the 1921 date rather than risk defeat of the bill altogether.
It is understood that the agreement as changed today eliminates the objectionable registration features, but this could not be confirmed. Congressman Johnson signed the agreement in its changed form and it is expected the bill as amended will be submitted to both the House and the Senate, becoming a law before the end of this week.
Congressman Samuel Dickstein announced that he expects to secure the privilege of the floor in the House and will outline his attitude toward the Copeland Bill as now changed by the conferees.
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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.
