Mr. President. I do not believe there Is any other question before this Congress that bears so strongly on the far future of America as the proper determination of this immigration matter. I think that what we do in this matter will have a greater effect upon time America of our grandchildren than what we do in any other single matter that comes before us for decision in this session. and it seems to me selfevident that where in a country 78 per cent of the white people come from a particular group of nations. to give those people only 48 per cent quota is an unfair and unreasonable discrimination and ought to be ended. On the other hand. to allow the Russians and the Polc" to have oneseventh of our whole Immigration quota is a discrimination in favor of the Russian and Polish groups. and a great discrimination against us. the American born. I do not think this matter of immigration can be discussed by making comparisons between the relative merits of this race and that. I do not believe we will ever get anywhere If we legislate on the theory that this nation is superior to that. that nation "A" produces finer immigration than nation "B." That gets us nowhere but into a turmoil of resentment and racial and national jealousy. That Is not the way we ought to legislate on this question. and I want to assume. now. in anything I have to say about the quota law. that every Russian is the equivalent of myself in general desirability. and the same for every Pole and every Syrian and every Italian. they are all just as good as I am. But what I complain of is that in fixing the quota law we give them two or three times the consideration we have been giving to our own American stock. which is not fair. which is a discrimination against us.
Keywords matched
Immigration immigration quota law