Speech #660273259

Mr. Chairman. my parents came to this country as immigrants. and in the very nature of things I would be inclined to oppose any proposition looking toward the suspension of immigration to this country for the period of two years were it not for the fact that I realize the imperative necessity for some legislation along this line. The present bill is merely a stop gap. It proposes to suspend inlmigration only for the period of two years. It is thought that in that time the Immigration Committees of both Houses of Congress will have time to go into the question of immigration thoroughly and report out a permanent measure that will meet the needs of the times. Also that in the next two years. the great unrest that is now manifest all over the world will have subsided to a marked degree-. I wish to call your attention to the paragraph. on page 3 of the committee report. which contains some very interesting figures with reference to the number of immigrants who have come to this country during the past year. In July practically 56.000 came to our shores. In August 58.000. in September 70.000. in October 74OO. This was at Ellis Island alone. and the figures do not take into consideration .the number of immigrants that come in through other ports of entry. It is safe to say that would add 10 or 15 per cent to the figures I have read. Now. these figures do not represent the maximum number of people who wish to come to this country. they represent the maximum number who came in under the present facilities for handling� them. If there were sufficient tonnage afloat today to bring everyone here from Europe who wished to come we would have in round numbers 10.000.000 or 15.000.000 immigrants coming to this country in the next year. In the first place. we have not the facilities for taking care of this number. and the industrial unrest all over the country would be aggravated by such an influx. It is being constantly aggravated by the large number of immigrants coming to this country at the present time. I read In a newspaper the other day that there are over 60.000. unemployed in the city of Detroit alone. If we allow a half million.. or a million. or a million and a half to come to this country in the next year to aggravate an already bad situation. as far as unemployment is concerned. it is merely going to create more unrest in the country.