Speech #660255569

While these cities have greatly increased in population during .the last 10 years. I iam confident the percentage of native and alien population is approximately the same.. From 1904 to 1914 nearly 10.000.000 immigrants came to the ..United States. averaging approximately 1.000.000 a year. Immigration from 1914 until now -has been limited. because during tlhe war passenger service on the seas was entirely suspended. and is now more or less limited..but it .is rapidly becoming nor!mal. Before the war many:manufacturers. grown rich by -spe!cial privileges granted them under protectivetariff laws. -while advocating a high protective tariff on the merchandise they .manufactured for sale. urged free trade .in labor. and were.large .employers of immigrant cheap labor. In the years !gone by these manufacturers and certain steamship companies -had agents abroad to work up immigrants to the United States. -both being inspired by selfish motives. The manufacturer desired cheap labor. so as to -increase -his own profits. the steamship companies desired to make money by collecting passage fare from the immigrants. History usually repeats itself. so we have every reason -to fear these two powerful agencies will act in :the future just as. they -have in the past. doing all in their power .to :induce:immigration from Europe. Conditions -today in the Old World. are uncertain and unsatisfactory. Families have been separated and scattered. "homes. business houses. and farms destroyed. taxes are very burdensome and -high. governments uncertain. lawlessness and anarchy:prevalent everywhere. -The people are not anchored by the ties:that formerly held them. so -little urging will be necessary to induce them to come ito America. In .last Sundays .New York !Times. May 23. 1920. -appeared an article -under large headlines: Immigration rush overtaxes :force. Nearly 9.000 aliens landed -on *Ellis Island in week. In the article the superintendent of the immigration .station. Mir. P. A. Baker. is quoted as follows:: Immigrants are coming to this country as fast as the limited transportatlon facilities can bring them. There is every evidence that even with postwar passport restrictions. there would. be the greatest rush -of people to this country ever known in the history of Immigration if :there were only ships to bring them. .This is only one of the many immigration ports in the United States. No doubt similar conditions -obtain at all our other -ports. I think we already have sufficient aliens within our borders. and that it .is time for the Government to suspend all .further immigration.