On the Statute Books

The Immigration Bill (TIME, April 28) is no longer the Immigration Bill; it is the Immigration Act of 1924. President Coolidge signed it in spite of a provision which excludes from the country, after July. 1, all aliens ineligible for citizenship (aimed at the Japanese). He signed -- but he issued his remarks on the subject: In signing this bill, which in its main features I heartily approve, I regret the impossibility of severing from it the exclusion provision, which in the light of existing law affects especially the Japanese. . . . We have had for many years an understanding with Japan by which the Japanese Government has voluntarily undertaken prevent the emigration of laborers to the United States and in view of this historic relation and of the feeling which inspired it, it would have been much better, in my judgment, and more effective in the actual control of immigration, if we had continued to invite that cooeperation which Japan was ready to give and had thus avoided creating any ground for misapprehension by an unnecessary statutory enactment. If the exclusion provision stood alone, I should disapprove it without hesitation. . . .