Speech #670216566

Here is vhat happened in the Illmnigration Committee. and I am not revealing any of its secrets. We met for the first time in months and iontlis. The immigration question Ilas long been an important one. I might say that there are few questions of greater importance to the American people than the restriction of immigration. and that has been true for some time. Why. when we bad this matter up before tie Senate * Committee on Immigration. I think a year ago. the evidence that came to us was that at Danzig and other places prospective immigrants by tie thousands were standing in line for days and for nights waiting to get their passports visded so that they might come to America. Those were the facts. Periodicals and newspapers and all kinds of organizations had urged Congress to take care of the situation. and it was that menace that forced Congress to pass the present law. so when the Senate committee met a week ago. after a long delay. this joint resolution that has been passed by the House was presented to us. The Commissioner General of Immigration had made certain suggestions as to changes in the present law. Those changes are incorporated in my substitute. I made a motion to the committee to invite your Commissioner General of Immigration to appear before the committee that he might present this matter to the committee and that the committee might consider and pass upon it. Aye. I went further than that. Some weeks ago the President selected Mrs. Lillian Russell Moorea very splendid lady. accomplished. versed. I presume. in immigration questionsand she wias commissioned by the President. your President. to go abroad and study this question from every angle and to return to this country as soon as she could and lnake a report to the Secretary of Labor. I assume that time President thought it was an importantquestion. and pressing. or lie would not have looked all over the country and selected Mrs. Lillian Russell Moore to make this investigation and so she went abroad. She returned only a few days ago. She tiled a reportI have it hereto the Secretary of Labor. and she says that what we ought to do is to have a holiday for five years. preventing any immigration to this country within that time. She says that there ape hordes of people. undesirable immigrants. wvho are waiting anxiously. desirous to come to this country to live.