THE ASIATIC BARRED ZONE. The Pacific Coast States were for a time face to face with an influx of East India laborers which, if it had not been checked, would have created another serious probe lem. Nine immigrants of this race were admitted in the year 1900, but the number increased until in 1910 it had reached 1,782. This was not a large number as immagration goes, but the coast States had seen other oriental immigration begin in a small way and develop to large proportions. Insistent demands for exclusion were made, and the Immigration Service utilized the then existing law to the fullest extent in an effort to check the incipient movement until some means of stopping :1 altogether could be found. These efforts met with some measure of success, for the number admitted in 1911 was only 517, compared with 1,782 in the previous year while in the next six years (1912-1917) a total of only 756 came. During this period Canada also restricted the immigration of East Indians to a very small number annual and the attitude of the Dominion helped materially to reduce the number coming to the United States, for it undoubtedly served to discourage the promoters of the movement from India to the western world. Various laws were proposed as a barrier against possible future immigration from India and this was finally accomplished through the so-called "barred zone" pr vision in section 3 of the immigration act of February 5, 1917. This provision excludes from the United States natives of the territory included within such zone not belonging to the exempted classes specified. The zone includes India. Sist Indo-China, parts of Siberia, Afghanistan, and Arabia, the islands of Java, Sumatra Ceylon, Borneo, New Guinea, Celebes, and various lesser groups, with an estimated population of 500,000,000. The exempt classes consist of governmental officials travelers for curiosity or pleasure, and persons of certain specified professional class so that, in effect, laborers only are prohibited. The actual boundaries of the barred zone include a portion of China, but the act provides that where immigration, regula tion, or rather exclusion, is "provided for by existing treaties" the geographical exc!TMsion is not applicable, hence, China is not within its scope. The act, however contains the important stipulation that "no alien now in any way excluded from or prevented from entering, the United States shall be admitted to the United States," so that the status quo of exclusion is assured even if existing treaties should cease to accomplish that result. The bureau respectfully suggests consideration of the extension of the barred zone to such parts of Asia as are not now included therein nor affected by exclusion laws or agreements, and also to Africa and adjacent islands, so as to exclude inhabitants whe are of the unassimilable classes or whose admission in any considerable number woul tend to produce an economic menace to our population. The promised extension of existing spheres of influence, and the establishment o new spheres through mandatories or otherwise in various parts of the Eastern Hemisphere, will without doubt open means of communication which will inspire a migra tory spirit among the people of those regions. Past experience has shown this to be true. Already there is considerable immigration of the classes indicated from the continent of Asia proper not now subject to exclusion laws or included in the barre zone, and also in a small degree from some parts of Africa. It is a well-known fact tha as knowledge of the freedom enjoyed and opportunities offered in our country has penetrated remote corners of the earth, immigration therefrom has resulted, and it certain that the same effects will follow with the opening up of these undevelop»-< lands along commercial and other progressive lines. In a period of transition, and while the spirit of emigration is still largely dorma among these peoples, lies our opportunity to insure protection for the future. Lis the barred zone, these parts of the world have masses who can be spared from the home countries but whose immigration here in large numbers would overwhelm uLet us fully potect ourselves first, and consider afterwards whether exemptions ca be made with safety to our country. OTHER IMMIGRATION SOURCES. Canada. The records of earlier immigration from Canada are very incomplete. but our census shows that as early as 1850 there were 147,711 natives of that countr in our population. The number increased steadily at later census periods and in 1910 it had reached 1,204,637, including 385,083 French and 819,554 of other orig Newfoundland had contributed an additional 5,080, but natives of Canada al ranked fifth among our foreign-born peoples, being exceeded only by natives of Ger many, Russia, Ireland, and Italy. This record indicates Canada's importance as a source of immigration. On the other hand there has been, particularly in recent years, a considerable amount of emigration from the United States to Canada, including both natives of this country and former immigrants, and the Canadian census shows that there were 303,680 natives of the United States in the Dominion in 1911, compared with 127,899 in 1901, and 80,915 in 1891. During the 11 fiscal years 1909-1919 the total immigration from Canada to the United States, including returning American citizens, was approximately 1,288,000, compared with an immigration into Canada from the United States of 1,072,000, or a balance of about 216,000 in our favor. In the movement of United States citizens alone to and from Canada the balance is in favor of the latter, for during the past 10 years nearly 562,000 have gone there and about 367,000 have come to the United States. It should be understood that these groups do not include those who cross the border temporarily in either direction, but only those who come or go for expected permanent residence. The movement of alien immigrants from Canada to the United States is very largely made up of persons of northern and western European descent or birth, the chief elements in the order of their importance being the English, French, Scotch, Irish, German, and Scandinavian. Peoples of southern and eastern European stock form relatively a small part of the movement Mexico.-Immigration from Mexico is not very large, but it plays an important part in the labor supply of the Southwest. In fact, much of the movement is made up of those whose coming and going is regulated by the demand for labor in the border States. The records show that in the past 20 years about 187,000 immigrants have been admitted from Mexico. The great majority of these were native Mexicans, but there is also a small movement of Europeans and Asiatics over the border every year. The immigration legislation of Mexico lacks the restrictive features of our system, with the natural result that some diseased, criminal, or otherwise inadmissible aliens from Europe and Asia seek illegal entry over the Mexican border, making that border an exceedingly difficult field of work for the bureau. West Indies.-The West Indies, including Cuba, Jamaica, and other islands, have become quite an important source of immigration in recent years, the total admissions during the past 20 years being approximately 215,500. The peoples chiefly represented in this movement are African (black), who came mainly from Jamaica and the Bahamas; Cuban; and Spanish. As in the case of Mexican immigration, many of those coming from the West Indies are seasonal laborers, who find employment in Florida, but the development of steamship connections between the islands and northern ports has resulted in a considerable movement of Negroes who stay more or less permanently in New York, Massachusetts, and other eastern States. Central and South America.-There is comparatively little immigration from Central and South America, the total number coming from these two sources in the last 20 years being 20,603 and 52,009, respectively. These are divided between the natives of the various countries, and Europeans who settle there for a time and then move to the United States. Although these countries have not been the source of much immigration in the past it is expected that improved direct steamship communications will result in a considerable, perhaps a large, increase in the near future. Africa.-Immigration from Africa has been unimportant, as it has averaged only about 750 a year during the past two decades. Most of those coming have been of European stock, although a few natives have joined in the movement. It is apprehended, however, that improved transportation facilities may result in the opening up of Africa as a source of immigration, and, as mentioned elsewhere, it is recommended that the barred zone be extended to include that continent. Australasia.-Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania combined have contributed somewhat less than 22,000 immigrants in 20 years, the majority of these being of British stock. There has been no increase in the movement in recent years and there is little or no indication that these far-away countries will ever become a source of much immigration. [Extract from the Report of the Bureau of Immigration for the fiscal year 1920.] IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION IN 1920. The statistical tables in Appendix I, as indicated by the complete table of contents which precedes them, show in much detail immigration to and emigration from the United States during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1920, and as they represent the first fiscal year since the beginning of the World War in which there has been anything like a normal movement from or to any part of Europe, the figures afford not only a basis for interesting comparisons with previous years, but also more or less reliable grounds for speculation as to what may be expected in the future. Continuing a long-established practice of the bureau incoming and outgoing aliens are each divided into two classes, namely, immigrant and nonimmigrant aliens, and emigrant and nonemigrant aliens. In the compilation of statistics under this classifica tion the following rule is observed: Arriving aliens whose permanent domicile has been outside the United States who intend to remain permanently in the United States are classed as immigrant aliens; departing aliens whose permanent residence has been in the United States who intend to reside permanently abroad are classed as emigrant aliens; all alien residents of the United States making a temporary trip abroad and all aliens residing abroad making a temporary trip to the United States are classed as nonemigrant aliens on the outward journey and nonimmigrant aliens or the inward. An understanding of this rule is necessary to a clear comprehension of the statistics. In what follows some of the more important features of immigration and emigration in the fiscal year 1920 are shown in comparison with the inward and outward movements during five years preceding the beginning of the war, and in some cases during the war period. The first table shows the total immigration and emigration in each fiscal year since 1910. Total alien immigration and emigration, fiscal years 1910 to 1920. While the foregoing figures need little comment it may be pointed out that the total number admitted in 1920 was largely in excess of the average annual admissions during the war, and more than two and one-half times as great as in the fiscal year 1919. During the five years preceding the war the annual admissions of both classes averaged 1,155,160, and it is noteworthy that even with several of the most important European sources of immigration still cut off and ocean transportation facilities stali far from normal the inward movement should have been more than one-half as great in 1920 as during the high-tide years 1910-1914. It will be noted, however, that nonimmigrant aliens made up 30.8 per cent of the total admissions in 1920, as compared with only 14.8 per cent in the five years 19101914. As a matter of fact the actual number of arrivals of this class in 1920 was greater than in any one of the five prewar years mentioned except 1913. Considering immigrant aliens alone it appears that 430,001 were admitted in 1920, compared with 141,132 in 1919 and an annual average of 1,034,940 in the five years 1910-1914. The number of this class admitted was, therefore, 41.5 per cent as great as the annual average during the five preway years. Turning to the statistics of emigration, it will be seen that the outgoing tide in 1920 was proportionately much higher than during the prewar period, this being especially true of the emigrant alien or permanent class. The total outward movement, 428,062, was equal to 68.9 per cent of the total admissions, while in 1910-1914 the total outward movement was only 45.4 per cent as great as the incoming. Among immigrant and emigrant aliens alone the latter in 1920 was equal to 67.4 per cent of the former, compared with 27.9 per cent in 1910-1914. Putting it in another way, the number departed per 100 admitted of each class of aliens and of the total in the two periods under consideration, was as follows: Number of emigrant aliens departed for 100 immigrant aliens admitted. This shows clearly that while the proportion of departures to admissions among the more transient classes of nonimmigrants and nonemigrants did not differ greatly in 1920 and 1910-1914, there is a very wide difference in this respect among the more permanent classes of immigrants and emigrants in the two periods. Under normal conditions this could doubtless be construed as an indication that a remarkable and highly significant change had occurred in the alien movement, but in view of existing conditions it is quite certain that the relatively large outward movements can be explained by the eagerness of aliens, whose departure had been deferred by war conditions, to return to their former homes, coupled with the fact that the facilities for leaving the United States, including financial ability, were much more conducive to emigration than to immigration. The return movement of aliens is no new thing, however, for between 1908, when official records of outgoing aliens begin, 36 left the country for every 100 admitted, and records of the Transatlantic Passenger Association show that in the 22 years, 1899-1910, as many as 37 steerage passengers were carried to Europe for every 100 brought to the United States. The increased relative importance of the exodus may possibly continue for several years, in which event it may become an important factor in the immigration problem. In this connection it will be seen that while in the five years, 1910-1914, the indicated net increase of population by arrival and departure of aliens was equal to approximately 55 per cent of the total number admitted, in 1920 the increase of 193,514 shown in the table was only about 31 per cent of the total admissions. PORTS OF ARRIVAL. The principal ports through which arriving aliens of both the immigrant and nonimmigrant classes were admitted in 1920 and 1919, and in 1914, the year immediately preceding the outbreak of the war, were as follows: Owing to the partial revival of immigration from Europe the number of aliens admitted at the port of New York increased from 55,254 in 1918 and 61.757 in 1919 to 330.549, or more than one-half of the entire immigration in 1920; but this number, it will be noted, is only about one-third as great as the number which passed through that port in 1914. There was a revival of immigration also through the ports of Boston and Philadelphia, and an increase in the number admitted through Canadian Atlantic ports, but in every case they were still far below their prewar status. Baltimore, therefore, is the only important Atlantic port which did not share in the post-war increase of European immigration, and the number admitted there in 1920 was less than 1 per cent of the number admitted in 1914. The Pacific and border ports, with the exception of Seattle, show large increases in 1920 over 1919 and 1914, this being especially true of the Mexican border, where the admissions in 1920 were more than four times as great as in 1914. COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN AND DESTINATION. As already explained, immigrant and emigrant aliens represent the permanent as distinguished from the transit movement to and from the United States and are the basis of immigration and emigration in the common usage of those terms. Accordingly in what follows the discussion will chiefly relate to these two classes. Europe has always been the chief source of immigration to the United States, and for nearly a century prior to the beginning of the World War approximately 90 per cent of the total came from that source. During the war, however, the percentage coming from Europe fell to approximately 60 in 1915, 50 in 1916, 45 in 1917, 28 in 1918, and 17 in 1919, but in 1920 it had increased to 57 per cent of the total. But even before the revival of European immigration the return movement, which also had been largely checked by the war, began to increase, and in 1919, when only 24,674 immigrant aliens came from Europe, 84,531 emigrant aliens returned there. The movement from and to Europe and other parts of the world in the fiscal year 1920 are shown in the following table: It will be seen that emigration again exceeded immigration so far as Europe is concerned, although not so overwhelmingly as in 1919. The excess of emigration in 1920 was due to the large return movement to eastern Europe, for in the case of every northwestern European country except Germany immigration exceeded emigration, as the following compilation shows: The above figures seem to indicate that what might be termed the staying qualities of northwestern European immigration have not changed with the war, for the exodus was very small in spite of the fact that for the first time in several years there were adequate facilities for such aliens to return to their homelands. Germany, of course affords an exemption; but technically at least, a state of war still exists between the countries, and this makes impossible a free movement of German citizens either to or from the United States. The last table also affords an opportunity to compare immigration in 1920 from the countries named, with the average annual immigration in 1910-1914, and it is interesting to note that while, as a rule, the normal prewar movement had not been resumed it was slightly exceeded in the case of Belgium, France, and Switzerland. Four other European countries also showed in 1920 an excess of immigration over emigration, as follows: With the single exception of Turkey, however, the number of emigrant aliens going to eastern European countries was in excess. and in some instances greatly i excess, of immigration from the same countries. This is shown in the following table |