Speech #680074249

Czechoslovakia. and Belgium. who have and are contributing so much to the developlient of this country and who were our brothers in arms lighting for tile same principles for which we stood and with whom we were so closely allied. are unjustly treated in this matter. Lt us take Italy. for example. According to the present quota law. Italy has 42.057 immigrants each year. Under the proposed law Italy would be allowed only 4.089a reduction of 90 per cent. On the other ]land. Germnany is allowed at the present time 122.171 immigrants. and her quota under tile new law would be 50.329a reduction of slightly over 60 per cent. So. also. England under the present law is allowed 139.786 immigrants. and under the new law her quota would be 62.658a reduction of slightly over 56 per cent. From which you see that the reduction 1o not proportionate. there is discriminatlon in the practical working out of the law. I am not speaking in favor of one race against another. gentlemen. lut merely citing these figures to call your attantion to the discrimination this change In the basic year for the computation of the quota brings about. Does it seem right to cut the quota of one country 56 per cent and the quota of another to 90 per cent? This discrimination against the Italians. our friends and allies during the late war. is offensive to the large body of American citizens made up of those who come from Italy. or who are Americans of Italian parentage. According to Government statistics. the number of Italian immigrants excluded and deported is the smallest. which shows the tendency toward physical and mental health. The Italian contributed only a minimum percentage of those affected by tuberculosis and insanity. as well as the lowest figure in the criminal record. The Italian immigrants also give the highest figures for productive labor and the lowest figure for mendicancy. notable indications of creative and dignified strength. While the earlier immigrant stock is lagging behind in the movement toward agriculture. the Italian immigrant is taking first place in the proportion of increase of tillers of the soil. who are the most indispensable producers in the country. The British. Canadian. and Scandinavian farmers in America show.