Provisions we all approve are contained in this bill. Indeed. there are many who would gladly support the bill with only one exception. That exception is the provision for a literacy test. To that we are opposed. With that provision in the bill we must withhold our support. for we consider it wholly unAmerican and indefensible. It is the belief of those who oppose the imposition of the literacy test that it is impracticable. that in operation it would be impossible of just and fair administration. Such was the belief of exSecretary Nagel. who. after a careful investigation1 as head of the department charged with the duty of the administration. reported that it would add over $1.000.000 annually to the cost of administration and that it would be impossible to fairly and justly impose it as a test. It would seem that a chreful consideration ofthe provision by anyone must lead to the same conclusion. Imagine a shipload of over 1.000 immigrants coming in after a long voyage. in most cases their first experience at sea. Think of these poor. frightened. seasick foreigners. landed in a strange land thousands of miles away from the familiar and the accustomed. being hurriedly lined up for an examination touching their qualifications to read and understand a language. Before strangers. with the fear of deportation before themwhich in -many instances will seem to them worse than a sentence of deathwhat will they see or understand of the " slips of uniform size" which carry the test? If merely nervous apprehension causes a large percentage of "flunking " even among college applicants for graduation. what may be expected of these unfortunate men and women whose whole future depends on their meeting the test? It is unfair. unjust. and cruel.
Identified stereotypes
Generalization about immigrants being poor, frightened, and seasick.