Speech #640196225

I read portions of an article from the Scientific Monthly of May. 1916. by Prof. Robert De C. Ward. of Harvard University: A crisis has been reached in our immigration policy. The war has. for the moment. very largely reduced the flow of aliens to our shores. For the first time In many decades we have breathing space. On the other hand. the effects of the war upon the peoples from which our future immigration will come are likely to be farreaching. This fact will. after the war is over. bring us face to face with many new and difficult problems which need careful consideration at the present time. We must think clearly. decide wisely. and act quickly. We need new Immigration legislation. We need it at once. In another part of the article he says: Is immigration likely to be greater after the war than before it? Or are we to witness a general and more or less permanent decrease? Our economists are already considering this question. and Commissioner of Immigration F. C. Howe. of New York. has discussed it in several magazine articles. With most of Commissioner Howes conclusions we find ourselves in general agreement. The demoralization of industry. the breakingup of homes. the roving restlessness of millions of men who will never be able to "settle down " again at home . the greatly Increased burdens of taxation. the desire to fly from the horrors of future wars . the political. religious. and social readjustments with the almost inevitable oppression and dissatisfaction of multitudes of people . the widespread destitution. misery. and hopelessness . the return to the United States of aliens who went home to fight and who will bring back with them many of their countrymen who have never been here. the desire of the foreignborn already in the United States to bring to America relatives and friends who are still ieft abroadthese and other causes will operate to bring us an increase in immigration which seems likely to surpass anything that we have ever known. It is easy to see what use the steamship agents will make of the conditions following the war in order to stimulate emigration from abroad. If the steamship companies have not made their contributions to this campaign. they ought to be called on at once: Fly from the horrors of war. escape your taxes. go to a country where there are no wars. where there is no standing army. where wages are high and work is plenty. go to America. A considerable proportion of our immgration even In normal times is thus artificially stimulated. What will happen after the war is easy to guess. Already plans are being made by foreign companies for the establishment of new steamship lines to bring emigrants from Europe and Asia to the United States. Mr. President.