Speech #600006397

In one of these. which was made just two years ago. Mr. Braun said: To sum up the situation appertaining to the question of Hungarian immigration to the United States. I desire to dIrect attention tothe fact that there Is a small proportion of the Hungarian people called .the "Agrarians." who make sincere effort to restrict emigration. who. however. are in a. very deplorable minority. The majority do advocate emigration and exert themselves In every particular and any way and manner possible to promote. induce. and assist emigration. The objects and reasons for this constant agitation are obvious and manifold. but they are all concentrated in one particular proposition. and that is the obtaining and earning all the money they possibly can in the United States. and then either to send or bring it back to Hungary. buy land therewith. or apply it in some other way for the benefit of the country of their nativity. The trend of the prevailing opinion in this respect Is very comprehensibly illustrated in a most enthusiastic exposd of Mr. Sigmund Kornfeld. the director of the " Hungarian Credit Bank." which appeared in the public press recently. and also In his speeches and lectures. in the course of which lie proved logically the wonderful advantages of Hungarian immigration to the United States. citing. among other things. that through his bank alone 130.000.000 crowns had come into the country from the United States during last year. and that in certain counties the value of land had increased to unheardof proportions. He advocates absolutely emigration en masse to the United States. advising those who heed him to do what those of their countrymen havebeen and are doing. who had been in America and are still there. saying literally. " Let all go who can. earn all the money they can. learn the practical ways of the American laborer. and come home with both the money and experience thus gained." Six months previous Mr. Braun had nmade another report. which also makes very interesting reading. In it he says: I believe I have shown conclusively in my various reports that several European governments. and more particularly the Governments of Ita4y and AustriaHungary. are encouraging the temporary exodus to this country of those of their people whom they can not support and that they employ every possible means to keep these aliens grouped together in this country and under their influence for the purpose of avoiding their assimilation with our customs and institutions. and I have likewise shown In these reports that considerable propaganda is carried on in the United States to assist these Governments In their attempts. There Is. in the first place. the foreign priest and the minister. who preaches to the foreignborn residents of this country that their greatest sin would be to forswear allegiance to the country of their nativity and become American citizens. * * * In the countries whence we get the kind of Immigration above mentioned they have laws permitting them to expel any foreigner whom they please to term " obnoxious." and Great Britain. in my opinion. very wisely inserted In her alten bill an expulsion clause of "undesirable aliens." In the countries from which we get the kind of immigration herein described no priest. minister. or schoolteacher can officiate . 878 unless he Is a citizen of that country. while here in the United States we have hundred and hundreds. and possibly thousands. of clergymen and schoolteachers who pursue their professions without ever thinking of becoming citizens of this country. One Hungarian. Polish. or Slav.:h church after the other is being built and subsidized by foreign governments. and most of these churches teach " antiAmericanism " rather than the preaching of the gospel.