Speech #660188047

Led by Senator Bacon. of Georgia. we rejected that provision in the treaty with Great Britain and we reserved to the United States under the reservation the right to pass upon what was a domestic question. and we reserved all domestic questions from arbitration. I object to their passing upon what is a domestic question for us. and the rule of procedure by which they are to pass I also object to. I object to the language "solely domestic." Take the case of immigratiQntake the case of a treaty with Japan. Immigration is in some respects not a domestic question. It involves the interest of the .country whose nationals are coming to our country. I would like to have the word "Immigration " expressly named in this reservation. because I would not vote to ratify the treaty under any circumstances if it would permit a question even as to the right of the United States to determine for herself who shall come to this country and who shall stay here. I especially am pleased with the fact that this reservation names immigration and declares that immigration is a domestic question. and no country shall interfere with our action and no council shall interfere with our action and no arbitral board shall interfere with our action when we come to determine who we will let live with us and how they shall live here. I concede if the Senators premise were not disputed his conclusions would be right. but I maintain that the seventh paragraph of article 15 is unsatisfactory in its mode of handling the .question of domestic problems. that it jeopardizes our control of the problem of immigration. It invites a dispute with Japan. and it invites other disputes. I would never vote for any treaty of any kind that took away from the United States the privilege of controlling that problem.