W. W. Husband. now Commissioner General of Immigration. appeared before the Senate. committee during those hearings. and testified. inserting tables. showing an approximation of the quotas of many countries. including Italy. His testimony. with these tables. was published in the hearings. and newspapers. then. along with the testimony of the many representatives of the steamship lines appearing in opposition to it. We are perfectly safe in saying that no person connected with. either branch of Congress or with the executive. branch of the Government had more minute. accurate or earlier informationas to every phase of immigration. legislation or administration than they had. To set aside our law now on the pretense that they did not know all of the restrictions which it imposed upon them is a selfabasing.. hypocritical pretense. wholly inconsistent with truth or a proper appreciation of the dignity and honor of our Government. We are advised. that the Italian Government has protested to our Government against the enforcement of the law as to this particular lot of immigrants. and against the entire act. but we are not advised as to the exact grounds of the protest. The Government of Italy during- last winter advised our Government that it had discontinued the issuance of passports to persons intending to. emigrate to the United States until it could learn what kind of immigrants we desired. This advice was communicated by the. Department of State to the chairmen. of both the House and Senate committees dealing with the subject. asl was doubtless anticipated. but it did not stop. these committees nor Cbngress in their purpose to enact restrictive legislation. We have discovered no evidence that Italy did in fact discontinue the issuance of such passports. but we have discovered evidence that Italy and some other European countries are anxious to get rid of some of the less. productive and less desirable portions of their population. Very soon after the President approved the act of the present session. on May 19. and before June 1. and also before the sailing of the Italian vessels now asking for relief. the Italian ambassador communicated with Mr. Secretary Hugles: on this subject. using substantially the following language: We have in Italian- ports ready booked. berths assigned. and everything prepared to. sail. approximatelY 11.000. steerage passengers and about 1.000 others. The Secretary.. of course. told them that. they could not. (Testimony. Commissioner General Husband.
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Italy and some other European countries are anxious to get rid of some of the less productive and less desirable portions of their population.