JANE ADDAMS RAPS IMMIGRATION LAWS
Noted Chicago Sociologist Describes Reactions of Europe to American Restrictions.
SPEAKS AT JEWISH [CENTER]
Problems Due to Ill Health and Improper Living Conditions Worse Abroad Than Here.
Jane Addams, noted sociologist, spoke briefly before the Jewish [Center], 667 Eastern Parkway, last night on immigration. Her address was entitled "Modern Social Problems," but she devoted a large part of her talk to describing the reaction of Europe to the United States immigration laws. She said that ill-feeling had been caused by the quota law [and] feared that the immigration bill pending in Congress would prove discriminatory, and that if it did there would be "trouble."
Miss Addams said that many of our modern social and economic problems are brought on by ill-health and improper living conditions, which exist not so much in America [as] in foreign countries.
She gave examples of places which she had visited in her travels through the Orient, where young girls work for long hours throughout the day and then at night retire to dormitories adjoining the factories. The next morning they arise and start the dreary routine all over again. There is no day of rest in the week and no chance for recreation. The only vacation the girls get, and the only times they are allowed to visit their homes, are at certain religious festivals during the course of the year.
In some rug factories in China young people are hired out as apprentices and receive no salaries. When they have learned the business and are old enough to receive wages they are discharged and a new set of children is hired.
"There are certain Chinese towns," she said, "full of people who know how to make rugs, but who cannot because of these apprentices.
"In India the children under twelve years who are working must attend school half of the time. As there is no public school system the employers are responsible for their education and consequently are not overanxious to hire such children.
"There is practically everywhere [tension] between the men on the soil who are not producing what they want, and the city people. This friction is quite new since the war."
The speaker said that she was speaking in India one time and a young Indian arose and asked her if they still believed in the United States that all men were created free and equal. Other educated natives asked her similar questions. After inquire of the chairman of the meeting for the reason for these impassioned pleas, she found out that they were caused by United States immigration laws.
"That very morning," she continued, "a cablegram had been received telling of a decree of the United States Supreme Court refusing citizenship to the Indian on the ground that he was an Asiatic."
She asserted that the United States [is?] losing its popularity because people can not longer regard it as a haven.
"If we begin to make discriminations," she said, "we are going to have quite a new line of troubles. The only way by which we can arrive at the solutions of our great social problems is by disregarding superficial things and getting down to basic principles."
One of the questions asked Miss Addams after her address was what she thought of the foreigner who comes to this country solely to make money and having made his pile returned to his native land to spend it.
"We forget," she replied, "that these people always do work for the money they get. We look at them in the light of consumers and forget that they are also producers."
Miss Addams has been resident head of the social settlement of Hull House, Chicago, since 1889. During that time she has been president of the national conference of charities and correction, chairman of the women's peace party, president of the national congress of women and chairman of the international committee of women for permanent peace.
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