Speech #660099596

The authorities have been trying for many years to deport Emma Goldman. Actual proceedings are now pending. House joint resolution No. 205. to extend war passport provisions for one year. did not go to the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization. but because the previous war act had been I passed by the Committee onForeign Affairs it went there. The present bill went to that committee also. although its title would indicate that it was a bill for the Committee on Immigration. But no matter. Tile Department of Labor is in full accord with this proposed act. and the regulations which are issued for the incoming of aliens under passports are issued jointly by the State Department and the Department of Labor. With regard to forthcoming immigration legislation. I am asked every day by Members when we can expect some kind of restrictive legislation. I would like to say that the committee is working hard on matters of both immigration and iaturalization. and that the bills which have been Introduced carry many varying ideas and refer to many difficult problems. Amendments are necessary to the present naturalization laws. In the last Congress. Members will remember. Representative Burnett. then chairman of the Committee on Immigration .and Naturalization. reported out a bill providing for the suspension of Immigration for four years. and it was thought then if it could be reached on the Calendar it would be passed without great opposition. That was the feeling then. But an analysis of that bill disclosed that the exempted classes were so many that we might go through the form of making a suspension of immigration for four years. and that after we had admitted all of the exempted classes. including relatives of those now here. we would have suspended only a limited number. I introduced at the beginning of this session a bill suspending immigration for two years. and found it subject to the same objections. Now. then. since Judge Burnett reported to the Sixtyfifth Congress the fouryear suspension act nearly one year of the fouryear period has passed into history. Since I introduced the twoyear suspension bill six months have rolled by. The present war passport extension act which we are passing will be In effect for one.year following the treaty of.peace. or. in other words. for. probably about two years from the signing of the armistice. thus we hope bridging the critical period. At any rate. we will have a reasonable period of time for the .consideration of sane and practical additions to our present immigration legislation. I believe that this war passport extension to be but the forerunner of a permanent passport plan for the admission of aliens into the United States. I think that the House Immigration and Naturalization Committee can perfect and present to the Ilouse a bill which the Members will be glad to supporta bill to admit the present exempted classes only with passports from their countries. with vis~s from our consular agents as to business and length of stay in the United States. and that we can develop a plan by which all others who come shall come only on probation and remain only on a system of registration.