Speech #680075753

I said I would finish in five minutes. I am concerned to answer briefly. and then allow the other Senators who want to speak on this to give us their views. The figures I have given are all taken from the report of the Commissloner of Immigration. That is the only accurate information we have. But. in addition to his figures. we must remember. in considering Chinese. that there is a very considerable trade in smuggling Chinese into this country from Cuba. from Mexico. and from Canada. and the numbers of those smuggled Chinese are not shown in these figures. while. on the other hand. in the application of the gentlemens agreement Japan has construed its obligation to apply to the sending of Japanese to Canada and to Mexico. and they have cooperated loyally with us in restraining the emigration of their laborers to Canada or to Mexico under such circumstances that they would be apt to come illegally into the United States. I say that for that reason the present system is highly effective. One reason why we know it is effective is that the Japanese keep a record of the number of Japanese emigrants from "J"apan destined for the Unitetd States. and we find that their figures check with ours by a couple of hundred in both cases. that is. as to the number of Japanese who have come to this country in the last fiscal year and the fiscal year before It. In fact. the number they show Is about 200 greater than the number our immigration authoritiesshow as coming in. I. the bill passes in the form In which it has left the committee. the inflow of Japanese will be restrained by these two factors: First. the gentlemens agreement. which will remain In effect. and. next. the quota system. We will have a double check. antl It will operate as acheck not only to .the lawful arrival of Japanese immigrants but as a check to the smuggling across the Canadian and Mexican borders fnd through Cuba. I .say. therefore. that the present system Is effective and will be made more effective by the adding of this quota law. Further reasons why It Is unwise are given by Secretary Hughes in his letter to the chairman of the House Committee on Immigration. and I will ask that the whole letter be placed in the ItoECti. because It is too long to detain the Senate in the reading. [See Appendix.] As :to the gentlemens agreemeat. however. Secretary Hughes writes. briefly. as follows: We now have an understanding with the Japanese Government whereby 3opan undertakes to prevent the emigration of laborers from Japan to the United States except the parents. wives. and children of those already resident here. Furthermore. the Japanese Government. incidentally to Its undertaking. now regulate emigration to territory contiguous io the United States with the object of preventing the departure from Japan of persons who are likely to obtain surreptitious entry into this country. And he says. after further discussion of It. which I will not detain the Senate to readfI am unable to perceive that the.exclusion provision is necessary and I must strongly urge upon you the advisability. in the interest of our international relations. of eliminating it. That brings me to the third reson why I think we should not adopt this amendment.