Speech #680073969

We want to get the best material that we can get. but we say to you. if you are going to argue on quotas. "make it a fair quota. so that no one can say that we have discriminated against people abroad." I am not talking about the citizens abroad. in Europe. I am talking about those who are here from southern and eastern Europe. I think you will agree with me that Immigration is among the many pressing problems facing America today. The Immlgration Committee of the House. of which I have the honor to be a member. has considered this important question for weeks and finally reported out the Johnson bill. H. R. 7995. Which if enacted would replace the present immigration law. which expires June 30. 1924. The chief point of departure In this Johnson bill as compared with the present law consists in shifting the basis of calculation from the 1910 to 1890 census and substituting a 2 per cent quota in place of the 3 per cent quota. Other new features will be analyzed and commented on later. but I will proceed immediately to a discussion of this first and. from my point of view. objectionable feature of the bill. The Johnson bill is frankly and unquestionably a restrictive immigration measure of an unprecedented character. Former laws have restricted immigration on the basis of certain stringent tests. where the present law. notwithstanding these tests. admitted into the United States 522.919 ending July 1. 1923. The proposed bill will admit only 161.184 plus an uncertain but limited number of those not coming within the quota law. In normal years in prewar (lays this country was able to absorb 1.000.000 immigrants a year. It was a drastic cut when we reduced it to 500.000 under the 3 per cent quota law now operative. A further restriction Is recommended in this bill bringing the figure down to 161.184. as above stated. Now let me present some figures showing how the operation of the new 2 per cent quota law on the 1890 census would affect prospective immigration from -various countries: Estimated immigration quotas based on census rcports of 1890. 1900. 1910. and 19202 per cent plus 100 for each nationality Estimated quotas based on 2 per cent of census plus 100 Country or region of birth Census Census Census Census of 1890 of 1900 of 1910 of 1920 Albania --------------------------------- 104 121 292 212 Armenia (Russian) ----------------------- 117 141 252 419 Austria -------------------------------- 1.090 1.891 4..04 11.510 Belgium --------------------------------- 609 749 1.142 1.856 Bulgaria --------------------------------- 100 100 302 311 Czechoslovakia -------------------------- 1.073 3.531 11.472 7.350 Danzig. Free City of --------------------- 323 31d 00 . 20 Denmark -------------------------------- 2.882 3.298 3.846 8. 844 Esthonia -------------------------------- 202 337 998 1.484 Finland --------------------------------- 245 1.365 2.714 3.113 Fiume. Free Stateof I -------------------- 1 10 117 148 210 France ---------------------------------- 3.978 3. 734 3.920 3.177 Germany ------------------------------- 45. 220 43. 081 40.172 28. 705 Great Britain and North Ireland --------- 41.172 57. 282 84. 508 29.152 Irish Free State ------------------------- 20.886 18.641 17.254 14.57 Greece ---------------------------- ----- 135 259 2.142 3.62 Hungary -------------------------------- 588 1. 232 3.932 8.047 Iedland ------------------------------- 1386 142 150 150 Italy ------------------------------------ 4.689 10. 815 28.138 82. 31 Latvia ----------------------------------- 217 371 1.120 1.681 Lithuania ----------------------------- 402 655 1.852 2.801 Luxembur ---------........... 1158 16i 162 a52 Luxa burg-------------------- -------- 18 6 6 9 Netherlands-- --------------------- 1.737 .2.000 2. 504 2.724 Norway ----.---------.---------------- 6.553 6.857 8.234 7.429 Poland ---------------------------------- 8.972 16. 277 20.752 22.902 Pe tugal -------------------------------- 574 1.016 1.744 1.610 Rumania ----------------------------- 731 1.512 .046 2.157 Russia .. . . ..------------------------------ 1.892 4. 596 16. 370 25.16t Spain (including Canary Islands) --------- 224 245 708 1.320 Sweden ----------------------------- . 661 11.772 13. 462 12. 649 Switzerland ----------------------------- 2.181 2.414 2. 602 2.477 Yugoslavia ------------------------------ 835 1.504 4.384 3.500 San Marine ---------------------------- 110 110 110 118 Andorra ----.---------------------------- 100 100 100 10 Liechtenstein ---------------------------- 100 100 100 -100 Monaco --------------------------------100 10 100 100 Palestine -------------------------------- 101 I8 138 164 Syria ------------------------------------ 112 167 688 1.142 Turkey -----...------- ........----------- 123 218 1.870 841 Hejaz --------------------------------- 105 105 105 105 Persia ----------------------------------- 125 125 125 123 Egypt ----------------------------------- 100 108 112 117 Liberia ------------------------------- 100 100 100 100 Abyssinia ------------------------------- 00 100 900 100 Morocco --------------------------- 100 100 100 100 Union of South Africa -------------------- 110 110 110 110 Australia -------------------------------- 220 210 296 323 New Zealand and Pacific islands --------- 167 152 154 178 Total ------------------------------ 101. 184 178. 76 239.030 240. 400 Fiume Is to be added to Italy.