I am against any quota law as the permanent immigratio. policy of the land. In 1921.. when the immigration Committee of the House of Representatives reported to the House the original quota law. they told us that because of impending mass immigration they wanted time within which to study the question. so as to bring before Congress a conmstructive pernianent immigration policy. They then said to us. " Give us a year under this makeshift temporary law and we will bring In some final constructive plan." We gave them the law as an emergency measure. never subscribing at that time to the quota principle or the placeofbirth test as the immigration policy of the land. After a years time the committee came back to us again and confessed that they had not given the subject enough time and thought to bring In a constructive and permanent policy. We then gave them two years more. and I would give the committee now five years moreyes. 10 years moreat the end of which time the committee is to bring before us some constructive policy that will fairly distribute the immigrants. that will not fix the place of birth as the test of the admission of an immigrant. We ought not to write into our statute books as a permanent law of the land something which says. " If you are fortunate enough to have been born in one part of Europe you are better than if you bad been born in another part of Europe." That is a violation of all principles of America. I can hear the people In Europe who have been governed by kings and czars in amazement saiy that America. which has been the leader against any law that may be discriminatory.
Identified stereotypes
People born in one part of Europe are better than those born in another part of Europe.