Speech #630393703

Mr. Speaker. I thought we were amending our immigration laws for the benefit of American citizens. I read the Senate amendment. it reads as follows: . Provided further. That the -provisions of this act relating to theilliteracy test or induced or assisted immigration shell not apply to agricultural immigrants from Belgium who come to the United States during the course of the present Eu opean war or within one year after its termination owilng to circumstances or conditions arising from the war. if It is shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioner General of Immigration that said Belgian immigrants come wth latent to engage in work of agriculture ind the United States and become American citizens. Mr. Speaker. those of you who favor the immigration bill should know that this Belgian amendment comes from the enemies of this bill. I am informed the Southern Commercial Congress has been promoting the Belgian farm colonization prop~osition. Let me showv you that the Southern Commercial Congress is healdquarters for opposition to this bill. OnDecember 12. 1914. the Southern Commecial Congress issued literature from which I quote: Resolved Eighth. That as any successful movement of farmers to the lands. of the South wii necessarily encroach heavily upon the labor supply of the grat Indnstries f the county the time is not propitious for restrictive legislation by the Congress 6f ihe United States. in so far as Itis likely to ablect agricultural immigration to the- South. I am reading fromn literatture issued by the headquarters of the organization peromoting tBelgian colonization in the South. Let me read further-: Whereas it Is agreed that the future development of the South is. to be. measured largely in terms of an efficient industrial and agricultural immigration Therefore be It-- . . -. That is the propsiganda mthey set forth. that the progress in the Souti is to be assusred by the introduction of foreign ib rants So far as I a t concerned. speaking for the good old State of Georgia. the citizenry of Georgia today is good enough for me. ai do not propose to admit that the 9S or cent of native wvhite citizens of the South are dependent on foreign immigration for future development in the South. Indeed. I do not propose for this slander on the South to go by. unnoticed. : . .. .