Speech #640219159

President. of course this is a general bill. What I said related more to the orientals. but it is of far greater importance to people who are not orientals and who are desirable citizens. The language inserted in the Senate bill by the committee requires residence in the United States for seven consecutive years before a desirable white immigrant can send for his wife and child. I can not conceive of a greater hardship Imposed upon a man who legitimately comes here to reside. I am not speaking of "birds of passage." to use the language of the Senator from South Carolina. There is nothing that indicates we are dealing with birds of passage. The language of the House bill reads: That whenever an alien shall have been naturalized or shall have taken up his permanent residence in this countryHis permanent residence in this countryand shall have flied his declaration of intention to become a citizenThen he may send for his- wife and minor children. That is the language of the- House bill which we desire to restoretaken up his permanent residence in. this. country and shall have filed his declaration of intention to become a citizen. The Senate committee seeks to strike that out and to say that he must reside in the United States for seven years. Imagine the hardship on a man coming in good faith. a desirable immigrantand we must welcome desirable immigrants--denied the privilege of sending for his wife and children for seven years. To what end and for what purpose? I will tell you. If this provision were written by anoriental attorney it could not have been. written more dexterously to meet the oriental conditions. because it enables the oriental to send for his alleged wifehis "picture bride "-and it keeps- out the family of the desir4 able immigrant for seven years. That is the only purpose of it. Under the House provision the oriental can not send for his "picture bride." because he is incapable of filinghis declaration of intention to become a citizen. being barred by our naturalization lawsas to which there is no question or any disposition to change them. So. if we restore the language of the House bill. we give to the legitimate immigrant coming in good faith to take up his permanent residence in this country the right to send for his wife after making a declaration.of Intention to become a citizen. but at the same time we bar the ".picture brides.".