Speech #680012078

Owing to the different actual numbers in these different classes of defectives these increases and decreases affect each other almost exactly. so that the total for all classes of defectives together remains practically unchanged. the computation yields an increase of iiinetenths of 1 per cent. Thus. on a literal acceptance of Laughlins data as growing out of the conditions existing in 1910. the change to the 1890 basis would not by itself tend to reduce the number of Europeanborn defectives in the governmental custodial institutions. though it would tend to change the relative numbers in the different classes of defectives. Professor Jennings shows that on the most careful analysis the results of Laughlins survey lend no support to the assumption that a change in the basis of admission of immigrants from that of 1.910 to that of 1890 would of itself tend to decrease the number of Europeanborn defectives entering the United States. If tile 1890 census were followed Professor Jenningss study also proves that the socalled Nordics would make no better nor worse contribution to our population practically ttni would the " despised " Alpine. Slavic. and Latin races. Perhaps no pamphlet or writing on immigration has received greater vogue during the last year than the Analysis of Americas Modern Melting Pot. by Dr. Harry II. Laughlin. It has been quoted by Members of Congress. oficers of the Government. and ninny magazine writers. Yet this analysis is full of discrepancies and is at great variance with the results of the United States census and our everyday common experience. It would seem that this author. claiming to have presented an analysis of our immigration problem in a s(cientific and unbiased way. appears now to have been strongly prepossessed with the notion of Nordic superiority. and has built up his argument on specious logic and solely with the idea to prove the very thing he assumes Is trueNordic superiority. In the fimst place. his report deals solely with relative values of the different groups of our population. but only from the standpoint of relative defectiveness. His concluslons are useless unless his work is supplemented by a study of the valuable contributions from the same groups. The whole result. therefore. is negative. No mention whatsoever is made of the Immeasurable contributions made to our political. ecoiOnic. and moral fabric by the newer immigrants. We are told nothing of the loyalty and supreme sacrifices ifade during tile war. for example by the Poles. the Greeks. and the Russians. We are not told that the "newer" lmmigants have always become citizens more quickly than the "older" inmnigrantsthe Nordics.