x6 THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM 
must secure territory or must have the opportunity 
to relieve pressure at home through the exporting of 
surplus Japanese population. Such a demand raises 
many serious questions. What moral right, for exam 
ple, has a nation with a low economic standard and a 
rapidly increasing population to impose its surplus 
upon more favorably situated countries wherein a 
more reasonable birthrate prevails? For example, 
have Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Amer 
ica or the United States a moral obligation to take 
care of the surplus population needs of other coun 
tries? Does emigration from Japan or Italy under 
such conditions help in permanently alleviating con 
ditions at home? Is not the problem rather that of 
restraining population increase? 
Many countries are opposed to the emigration of 
able men in their prime. They have had the expense 
of raising them and fitting them to become self-sup 
porting wage-earners. If at the period when they are 
just beginning to be productive they emigrate, the ex 
pense of their rearing is an absolute loss. 
On the other hand, so far as they believe that the 
emigrants are going to the United States to remain 
but a short period, and in the meantime to send back 
to the home country their surplus earnings, and then 
later themselves return, the foreign governments are 
willing to encourage their going. 
Effect upon the United States of the Return to 
Europe of the Immigrant 
It can hardly be said that taken by itself the send 
ing back to the old country of the savings of the 
immigrant is directly an injury to the United States.