150.01 Commuters/56

Memorandum by the Chief of the Visa Office (Du Bois) of a Conference Held May 12, 1927, Regarding Canadian Border Travel Difficulties

At 10:30 a.m., by invitation of the Secretary, the following officials met in the Diplomatic Room of the Department:

  • The Secretary
  • The Minister of Canada
  • Assistant Secretary Wilbur J. Carr (State)
  • Assistant Secretary Robe Carl White (Labor)
  • Mr. Wrong, Secretary, Canadian Legation
  • Mr. Jolliffe, Commissioner of Immigration of Canada
  • Mr. Flournoy, Assistant to the Solicitor
  • Mr. du Bois, Chief of the Visa Office.

The Secretary made an introductory statement to the Conference in which he pointed out the importance of maintaining the traditional friendly relations which had always existed with Canada. He hoped the conferees would discuss any and all questions arising from travel difficulties on the Canadian border in the friendliest spirit and he wanted the Conference to be sufficiently broad in scope to cover any question on which difficulties might arise with a view to their solution in a way that would maintain our friendly relations with Canada.

[Page 498]

The Secretary stated further that he hoped the work of the Conference would iron out all difficulties; that he would personally discuss its results with the Secretary of Labor at which discussion he invited the Minister of Canada to be present.

Since it was Diplomatic Day, the Secretary then excused himself and the Conference proceeded informally, presided over by Assistant Secretary Carr.

The Canadian Minister read a prepared statement outlining the widespread adverse effect Labor’s General Order No. 86 has had on the sentiment and economic structure in Canada. He said it is being taken up editorially and by the man on the street in cities far removed from the border and has become, in fact, an acute international issue. He exhibited a copy of the Border Cities Star which bore a full front page editorial under one-inch headlines, “An Unfriendly Act of a Friendly Nation” and presented other clippings similar in tone from Quebec and other interior cities.

Mr. Wrong went further into details and suggested that under Labor’s own definition—”an alien who, having a fixed domicile in some other country which he has no intention to abandon, comes to the United States for a temporary period only”—the border-crossers were in the category of non-immigrants.

Mr. White outlined the position of the Department of Labor at some length. He said that ever since July 1, 1924, Labor had been seeking a means to curtail the border-crossing privileges and was now driven by pressure from organized labor to a definite announcement of its program of control of border crossing by workers. He said these people who entered the United States solely for purposes of work and took the places of American workers were not contemplated by Congress as coming within the non-immigrant class.

The discussion then became general and centered around the number of persons who, under Labor’s Order, would be required to present quota immigration visas. It was submitted by the representatives of Canada that these persons caused them the greatest concern since they were over 90% British-born and as much the responsibility of the Canadian Government as native-born Canadians. Each group had certain statistics which seemed to indicate that between 4000 and 6000 such persons were involved. It was pointed out that while this number was but a drop in the bucket as far as the American labor market was concerned, each individual, when thrown out of employment and forced to stay in Canada would become the nucleus of unfriendly feeling against the United States.

The time within which these people might hope to receive visas under their respective quotas was discussed. Our system of allotment proportional to demand was explained and also the fact that [Page 499] obligations had been created in very large numbers both in England and in Canada by registrations on the part of prospective quota immigrants who had not hitherto enjoyed any border crossing privileges and who could not be set aside in favor of those who had. Statistics were adduced to show that a six-months period for the production of quota visas could not be considered as meeting the situation in the slightest degree.

Mr. White pointed out that the six-months period was not expected by Labor officials to be an adequate period, but rather to be a period in which the situation would clarify itself; the definition of a period (any period) after which quota visas must be produced being the only actual curtailment in the number of foreign workers enjoying employment in the United States, and, consequently, the only actual benefit accorded to the A. F. of L. He stated that it was also conceived as a period of readjustment—a period during which due notice having been served, non-Canadian border crossing workers would secure employment on the Canadian side of the border.

The Conference adjourned at 12:50 p.m. after agreeing that notices to the press should be limited to the statement that this was a preliminary session only and no announcement of its results could be made.

Tentatively, with the understanding that Mr. White would discuss them with the Secretary of Labor, the following three points were agreed upon a$ being the lines along which a solution might be reached:

1.
Cease, as from the date of General Order No. 86, from the creation of further border-crossing privileges.
2.
Continue in effect the privileges hitherto granted until the individuals in each class involved may either bring themselves within the Act of 192425 or otherwise adjust their situations.
3.
The Departments concerned will report the situation to Congress when it convenes with a view to ascertaining whether it is disposed to grant any further measure of freedom in travel across our land borders than is permitted by the present law.

C. du B[ois]
  1. 43 Stat. 153.