Speech #620069682

There is no comparison between the city government of any other American city and the city of New York. based upon population. area. or upon any other basis of comparison. The problems that confront New York are to a large extent the problems of a nation. It is the great gateway of the Nation. the great immigration gateway of the Nation. It is the great gateway for the enormous mass of foreign population that for more than a hundred years has been crowding into this country and has filled up every nook and corner of this Republic with American citizens adopted from foreign countries. Through the great city of New York passes practically all that enormous immigration from foreign points. New York is the first American municipality to receive them. gives them their first lessons in American civic duties and American citizenship. New York has problems beyond and above any other municipality in the country. but Washington is at the very antipodes of civic problems as compared with the city of New York.