Speech #650205683

I shall not occupy the attention of the Senate very long. I have only a word or two to sny. Following the last suggestion made by the Senator from Utah and the suggestion of the Senator froniOregon. there is quite all extensive legislative proposition submitted by the Bureau of Naturalization undertaking to deal with this subject matter. so far as it affects aliens and people who are applying for citizenship in this country. It is pending now before the Committee on Immigration. and we hope at an early day to be able to give that bureau certain additional machinery and certain additional money to carry oil this great. and I think necessary. work. but it does look to me like if we start now another bureau to do the same kind of work it is going to be more or less of a uplication. I have been very much impressed with the suggestion that we either ought to stop the Bureau of Naturalization from doing the work that has been committed to it by statute laws here tbrough many years. by different Congresses. or keep this Bureau of Education out of it. We ought to do one or the other. and avoid duplication. I do not feel. and I never have felt. that vocational or any other sort of education was a proper function of the Federal Government. I think we have now at least enough ways to spend our money without embarking in that particular field of expenditure. aid it certainly seems to me that only some of the duties and rights and responsibilities of the States ought to be left. but also some of their opportunities to attend to matters of this sort. I think from the beginning one line of demarcation has been that the course of education itself should belong to the local authorities. and the responsibility should rest on them. Therefore. for every reasonfirst. because generally the Federal Government ought to have nothing to do with this sort of matter. second. because so far as concerns tle particular way in which this thing is sought to be applied now. the Naturalization Bureau of the Department of Labor is already undertaking this work. third. because so far as the soldiers in the Army are concerned the bureau is already trying to do everything that can be done in the short time at hand . and. fourth. because we have not time now. with the emergency that is on us. to start to educate these soldiers in much except hlow to shoot straight and shoot quick. I do not think I can support this bill. Of course. since my colleague offers It. it is.unpleasant to have to oppose it. but my judgment is against it. and upon all of those grounds I shall. therefore. oppose it.