Speech #660333614

Mr. President. the motion of the Senator from Mississippi. now before the Senate. is to strike out the provision. in the Johnson bill admitting dependents. I hope the Senate will remember in this connection that the dafiger which the country fears of a flood of immigration arises from immigrationfrom southern and eastern Europe. That is not based upon conjecture. that is bftsed upon figures. For the four years from 1910 to 1914 the average annual arrivals from southern and eastern Europe was something like 750.000. The apprehension is that that number will be largely increased. and we have an intimation in that direction from the number of arrivals in the past six months. That is the danger we want to guard against. We do not need to guard against the danger of admitting immigrants from northern and western Europe. They come here in comparatively small numbers. In the last 10 years. or during the pre.war period. they did not average annually more than 182 000. We do not want to exclude those from the country. They go largely to the farms. They help to develop the country in a different sense from the immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. who flock to the cities and to the industrial centers. It Is a fact. proven beyond dispute during the hearings. that there is a demand for common labor upon the farms today. so that if we are to raise the maximum amount of crops. or nearly that. we must have additional farm labor. This amendment to the bill. to strike out this language. would operate as a complete suspension of immigration. I do not see 192t. how any Senator who has reflected upon the immigration questioi6 in all is bearings can reach such a conclusion. Corisiderlng the fact that 30.000.000 aliens and the descendants of aliens now live in this country. considering also the fact that we Want to develop our foreign trade with other nati6ns and want to be on good terms with them. considering also the fact that there is an absolute demand now for agricultural labor. it is difficult to see how anyone can arrive at t he conclusion that the United States of America should shut the bars down and totally suspend all immigration. I believe it would work to the injury of the country. Nor do I think that such suspension is necessary to meet the fears which the people now have with regard to the flood of immigration. They can be met absolutely by fixing a low maximum number that can arrive within 15 months. We would thereby quiet the fears of th6se who are afraid of a flood of immigration and at the same time permit to come into the country a small maximum number and thus help to supply the wants of the country.