Speech #630381133

President. I desire to take a little time on that amendment. The amendment as finally perfected and as it is now offered reads as follows: That the following classes of persons. when otherwise qualified for admission under the laws of the United States. shall be exempt from the operation of the illiteracy test. to wit: All aliens who shall prove to the satisfaction of the proper Immigration offlcer or to the Secretary of Labor that they are seeking admission to the United Statesto avoid religious. political. or racial persecution. whether such persecution be evidenced by overt acts or by discriminatory laws or regulations. It is proposed by the amendment to insert in the text of the bill. after the word "persons." in the sixth line on page 9. the words " when otherwise qualified for admission under the laws of the United States." and after the word " religious." in the eleventh line on page 9. to Insert the words "political or racial." so that the clause would read as above stated. The amendment would broaden the provision as contained in the text of the bill by putting persons seeking admission because of political or racial persecution on terms of equality with persons asking admission on the ground of religious persecution. That Is to say. all persons embraced in any of the three classes would be exempted from the literacy test. but. to guard against any possible admission of undesirable immigrants who might be excluded under other provisions of law. the following words are proposed to be inserted: "when otherwise qualified for admission under the laws of the United States." Mr. President. I think I said on day before yesterday all I need or care to say with respect to the proposed amendment. I then addressed myself to the exceptions proposed in the bill and in this amendment to the literacy test. seeking to broaden the exceptions so as to embrace persons persecuted for political or racial reasons and to put them on an equality with those persecuted for religious reasons. the latter being already excepted from the operation of the literacy test by the terms of the bill as reported. I wish now to make one or two additional observations Intended to have a more special reference to the literacy test in its larger aspects. although incidentally referring to the exceptions also. Mr. President. I hold In my hand a document entitled "Jewish Immigrants." being a report of a special committee of the National Jewish Immigration Council appointed to examine Into the question of Illiteracy among Jewish immigrants and its causes. That report was presented to the Senate by the junior Senator from New York March 24 last. and It has been printed as a Senate document. I wish to read briefly from this document to show how the Jews at least in some foreign countries are persecuted because of their race. I do this to confirm what the chhirman of the Immigration Committee of the Senate said in his very Interesting speech here the other day. to the effect that in one of the larger countries of northern Europe Jews were discriminated against and persecuted not because of their religious opinions and affiliations. but because of their racial extraction and connection. From this dbcument I will read only an extract or two. as follows: Staro Constantinow. Province of Volina: Jewish population. 56.5 per cent.