As to the last decade. that ended In 1920. it will be noticed that the column is divided only in proportions. It does not show the total figures. The facts are that there is not any country in Europe In which the motive to emigrate Is not stronger today than it ever has been since immigration began to this country. The degree of economic distress that prevails there. the high taxes. the apprehension of military service. the disturbance of the whole economic situation. are greater today than they have ever been before. and that is a matter of common knowledge. By contrast to that. whether because of our tariff policyand I do not suppose we will agree on both sides of the aisleor because of our isolation in other respects. we have maintained a scale of living and a scale of wages that Is higher than ever before. so that the double motive to emigrate from Europe and to immigrate to the United States Is stronger than it has ever been in history. Just to illustrate how strong it is. I may say that under the present law the Italian quota is 42.000 persons a year. I was told by one of the Italian emigration officialsthey keep up a bureau of emigrationthat more than 600.000 persons had registered themselves as applicants for emigration to this country under our quota law. In other words. they already have on file applications for permits to emigrate that would take up the present quota for the next 15 years. That is typical and only typical because the same conditions exist in every other country in Europe. It is typical of the motives and the strength of the desire to come from there to this country.
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emigration emigrate immigration immigrate quota law emigrationthat