Speech #620062217

But in no law that has been enacted by the Congress of the United States has there been any attempt to limit the coming into the United States of merchants. students. travelers. or professional people from the Orient. Therefore my friend from Illinois was entirely in error when he said that we have adopted the principle that we have the right to exclude people from our shores on account of their race. But the question of the recognition of a passport. such as our Government issues to its citizens who desire to travel abroad. is not involved in our Asiatic exclusion laws. The coolies who are now excluded under these laws were wont to come here and settle and compete with American labor. They were really Asiatic immigrants. They worked for wages so low that the American laborer and mechanic was unable to compete with them. and it was upon the demand of the working people of this country that Congress finally passed the exclusion laws against the oriental coolies. The refusal of Russia to honor American passports is an entirely different matter. The passport itself indicates that its possessor does not intend to emigrate to another country. On the contrary. its purpose is to secure safe conduct for the citizen of the United States. in whose name it is issued. during the brief period this citizen desires to sojourn in any foreign .land. The life of the passport is only two years. and under congressional enactment. if its holder be a naturalized citizen who should reside continuously for two years in the foreign country wlmose allegiance he had foresworn at the time of his naturalization. he promptly forfeits his American citizenship. He can no longer claim the protection of this Government. Russia is one of the few countries in the civilized world which still demands a passport from the visitor to her territory.