Speech #680012078

St. Paul himself could not readily come in unless as an exception under the law. which admits ministers of the Gospel. If Secretary of Labor Davis and his illiterate father attempted to enter America now instead of several decades ago. they would be deported hack to Wales. as the English quota is now full. Under any quota law we subscribe to the Illogical theory of depriving ourselves of many excellent and letting in many despicable aliens. It seems nothing short of ridiculous to accept within the quota a criminal Scotchnman and a degenerate Swede. and at the same time exclude a refined and cultured Pole or an industrious and honest CzeclhoSlovak who happened to be In excess of quota. When the quota law was first presented it aroused a siorma of opposition from all parts of the country. but we were told that it would be only temporary and that its adoption was essential as an emergency measure as a result of the war. which practically put industry in the doldrums and caused millions to be out of employment and gave rise to the fact that the failure to restrict immigration would cause a mad rush of aliens from stricken countries of Europe to the shores of this country. where they would receive asylum from economic and other ills. At first the lower House. in December. 1920. passed a bill to suspend practically all immigration for the time being. The Senate substituted the quota plan. and in conference the quota plan prevailed. After its adoption by both Houses of Congress It failed to become a law because President Wilson. in his wisdom. withheld Executive approval. Wilson was a firm believer in the liberal immigration policy. and I venture the assertion that if he were in the highest seat of power in this country today the postwar hysteria for restrictive immigration which seems to be rampant in many parts of the country would receive a stubborn and strong check. Wilsons idea of immigration is readily summed up In what he said some years ago: I have always pleased myself with the Idea that America in some degree exists III spirit all over the world. and that there are men coming to these shores who have displayed their interest in our affairs. who bring to America a more vivid concepilon of what it means than those of uts who were horn and bred here entertain. Nevertheless. despite Wilsons failure to approve the quota measure. favorable action was soon taken at the special session called at the beginning of the Harding administration. and after enactment by the new Congress the bill became a law with President Hardings approval on May 19. 1921. It was again supposed that the measure was only temporary. The law expired by limitation June 30. 1922. but by time act of May 11. 1.922. there was a further extension to June 30. 1924. The principal provisions of that per cent limit act are that the number of aliens of any nationality who may be admitted to the United States In any fiscal year shall not exceed 3 per cent of the number of persons of such nationality who were resident in the United States according to the census of 1910. monthly quotas are limited to *20 per cent of the annual quota. and nationality is determined by country of birth. The Immigration Committee of the House has now reported favorably H. R. 101. which seeks to make the quota or per cent limit our permanent immigration policy. and furthermore reduces the number of aliens to be admitted into this country to practically 2 per cent of the number of foreigniborn individuals of each nationality resident in the United States. as determined by the United States census of 1890. plus an additional 200 for each nationality or country. Immigration would be cut from 522.919 to about 185.000 per annum. Onethird of our population is of foreign origin. and therefore we nust surely recognize our economic debt as a Nation to past immigration and our economic need for its selective continuance. The proposed law utterly disregards this past debt and future need. It has been well stated that with carefully selected immigration we could develop properly our natural resources and have performed all rough labor in connection with mining. road building. and general construction. We are underloused. underconstructed. and underdeveloped. At the Immigration hearings It was stated that Texas alone could contain the present population of France and Germany with a smaller percentage population per square mile than is possessed by Italy. Nevertheless. there are those who want to reduce still further the number of aliens who can enter the country under the present law. To my mind the proponents of H. R. 101 care naught for foreigners. It is significant also that In their calculations of aliens coining in they studiously fail to consider the number of aliens who emigrate. They would very likely not only prevent all foreigners from coining in but would want all foreigners who are in to emigrate or be deported. Suppose they had their way and we awoke one fine morning and found all our population of foreign origin had departed. There would. perhaps. be no rolls for breakfast. no sugar for the coffee. and n6 meat for dinnerfor practically all workers in foodstuffs are aliens. Milady would have to wear last years coat. shoes. and gloves. as most wearing apparel factories would be closed. There would be few policemen. there would be no coal heavers. clodhoppers. or cooks. no butchers. bakers. or candlestick makers. Upon close scrutiny the proposed law. favorably reported by the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization. presents some peculiar anomalies and some very damaging discrlroination among races. The admissible numbers under the present law and the proposed law are as follows: Quota admissible under present late and under proposed laiv. Present quote. 2 per cent. 3 per cent. 1890.