Let me say to the Senator that neither the committee of the House of Representatives nor the Senate Committee oit Immigration thougltt it best to go that far just at the present moment. What we have done and what tihe other House has done is this : We have declaredilat aliens who have heretofore or. may hereafter enlist or be conscripted in the military service of the United States may be rendmitted wvithout regard to the rigors of the immigration act of February 5. 1917. As to aliens. however. who have joined the CzechoSlovak forces or the arlies of foreign powyers. even ifthey are cobelligerents with us. we felt that they ought not to be relieved of all of the ietltirenients of the law except in cases where they have declared their intention to becoitte citizens. Of course. after the war is over. when we face this condition and come to it. our minds will be open on that question. but it seems to me when the Senator considers the treiendous immigration prohlem that we may lie confronted with vhen this war is over. lie w\illi agret that Ave have gone as far as it is safe to go now. I am willing to let "liens who serve in our own arniies come back wilhout condition. qualification. or restriction. anid without regard to any law. but wlere they haxve gone over to serve in other armies. exen it the arnies of cobelligerents. I doubt whether all the requirements of the lawx and all the safeguards of the law ougit to be thrown aside. unless they had declared their inten.7999 tion to become American citizens before they left this country.
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