Chairman. I wish to state my objections to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Missouri . I did not intend to address the committee further. but I wish to state this: that the gentleman has offered a substitute to the educational test proposed by me. a provision that all immigrants who come to this country must stand a mental test. a physical test. and a moral test by the consular service of the United States. Now. if you are opposed to an educational test. why should you be in favor of this test. because you leave it entirely to the Department to determine what the test would be. and it would probably be along the same lines? Why should you accept this other test and put the Government to the expense of appointing the consuls to do this work. appointing the examining physicians to do this work. requiring them to go to the consular officer and get their certificate. and as the gentleman from Alabama . my colleague. said. if that is the case. if they are required to go to a consular office. that consular office could not give a certificate without violating the comity between this country and other countries to a young man running away from there in violation of the military laws or any other laws regardless of this test. but if you accept the amendment that I offer. the emigrant does not have to go to any consular office. lie does not have to stand an educational test until lie comes here to make a living. He may leave there because he does not want to serve in the army. but when he comes here there is no question raised if he can pass the educational test. he is admitted. No one of them would be brought over here unless he was qualified. and why? Because the amendment provides that the steamship company must carry the emigrant back who can not pass the test. Therefore. the steamship companies. in order to protect themselves. will apply the test to them before they start. not because of their regard for our law. but as a protection to themselves. so that they will not have to carry the immigrants back at their own expense. . As far as the Germans are concerned. I believe my friend stated yesterday that only about 2 per cent or 2+ per cent of the people of that nationality are illiterate. The figures I had showed a little more than that. but of the German immigrants coming to this country it would only exclude about 2 or 3 out of every 100. whereas it would exclude 43 or 45 per cent of the mdesirable classes. Now. I say. in reference to this amendment. the question simply is whether you are going to stand for home and country. or whether you are going to stand as a matter of sentiment for the indiscriminate. uneducated classes of Europe.
Identified stereotypes
Indiscriminate, uneducated classes of Europe