American Democracy and Asiatic Citizenship

by SIDNEY L. GULICK '83. Charles Scribners Sons, New York 1918.

Dr. Gulick, who is recognized as one of the American authorities on the Far East, makes an important contribution to the problem of Asiatic citizenship and immigration in the most recent of his series of books on this and related questions: American Democracy and Asiatic Citizenship. The broad spirit of fairness and sympathy in which the. book is written, combined with the constructive character of the suggestions, cannot fail to make an impression in a world caught in the throes of reorganization and revaluation of the accepted principles of international intercourse.

The study is divided into two parts: Part 1, political, in which Dr. Gulick gives a brief statement of both Chinese and Japanese points or view, a sketch of our immigration and naturalization policy, and his own policy and programme for constructive immigration legislation: Part 2, statistical, in which a considerable amount of material from official sources is given and commented on in support of the author's thesis.

The constructive portion of the book is found in chapters eight and nine. Dr. Gulick here proposes a plan for dealing with the immigration question in a systematic and comprehensive fashion. Such a plan should provide, in the words of the author, for (1) the regulation of all immigration on a common principle, (2) the specific training of all immigrants for citizenship, (3) the giving of citizenship to all who qualify, regardless of race.

The first proposition is developed by the statment that "the United States should so regulate immigration that only so many immigrants may be admitted from any race or People as can be wholesomely Americanized" and by further suggesting that "the maximum permissible annual immigration from any people should be a definite percent (say five) of those from that people who have already become naturalized citizens together with all American born children of immigrants of that people". Interesting tables on pages 117-119 indicate what the effect of this policy on Asiatic immigration would have been for the five year period, 1911-16. From these tables it appears that some 6,000 Japanese males over 14 years of age, and over 2,000 Chinese of the same class would have been excluded.

Coupled with this plea for a common principle of admission, or possibly we should say exclusion, is the demand for the grant of citizenship on equal terms, as rigid as desired, to all immigrants actually resident in the United States. Dr. Gulick assures his readers that if the element of discrimination were thus removed, Japanese objections to our immigration policy would be largely obviated.

Space will not permit a detailed discussion of the interesting "five percent" plan. Were it possible to devise means whereby our immigration officials could separate from the annual number of those asking admission to our country that five percent best fitted to become American citizens by reason of education, experience, character, strength of mind and body, undoubtedly such procedure would be preferable to the admission of the first to come who are able to meet our minimum requirements. Failing such ability to sift and reject, a proportionate plan as here proposed has many attractive features. Certainly when compared with the treatment accorded Asiatics in the past, or with that now proposed to be accorded to all immigrants for a given period in the future, Dr. Gulick's suggestions merit and will receive thoughtful consideration, discussion, and approval.

"A List of the Principal Civil Officers of Vermont from. 1777 to 1918" being a revision of Deming's Vermont Officers edited by John M. Comstock '77 under the direction of the Secretary of State and published by the St. Albans Messenger Co., St. Albans, Vt., has just been issued. Denying's Vermont Officers appeared in 1851 with a supplement for 1852. The State of Vermont is to be congratulated on securing the services of Mr. Comstock for this work of revision. Mr. Comstock is a painstaking and accurate scholar. Such a person was needed for this work when it is realized that the volume has an index of over 13,000 names. Whenever possible Mr. Comstock has revised the original edition of Deming by adding the dates of births and deaths of the Vermont officers from 1777-1857 as well as adding the names and vita! statistics of all Vermont officers from 1852 to date. So this volume besides being of value to the student of Vermont history will also be of value to the genealogist.

"The New England Society of Cleveland and the Western Reserve Constitution, Officers, Members and Minute-s" for 1918 contains an address by Hon. S. W. McCall '74.

Rev. Arthur W. Jenks '84 is the author of a pamphlet "John Colet" reprinted for private circulation from the Anglican Theological Review for March, 1919.

J. A. Detlefsen 'OB is the author of "Fluctuations of Sampling in a Mendelian Population" reprinted from the November number of Genetics. With Mr. E. Roberts he is the author of "On a Back Cross in Mice" involving three allelomorphic pairs of characters also reprinted from the November issue of Genetics.

A second edition of "Law of Probate and Administration for Nebraska" by Arthur K. Dame '82 has recently been issued by Geo. Bateson & Co., Portland, Oregon. This edition is adapted to use in Oregon. Mr. Dame is also the author of "Practice and Procedure in Civil and Criminal Cases in the Inferior Courts of Nebraska" recently published.

The January-February number of Special Libraries contains "The Business Man and the Special Library" by John Cotton Dana '78. Mr. Dana is also the author of "Public Libraries or Censors" in the April Bookman.

Frederick J. Allen '89 is the author of "The Law as a Vocation" published by the Harvard University Press. "The Shipbuilding Industry" by Mr. Allen and R. W. Kelley has recently been published by Houghton Mifflin & Co.