Speech #680076022

This is a very acute question now oil the Pacific coast. Tile act of May 19. 1921. amended by the act of May 11. 1922. expires on June 30. 1924. It is therefore both Important and necessary to enact this legislation il time for rules and regulations to be promulgated under It and that prospective immigrants iay be advised before the expiration of the above amendatory acts. Immigrants. under the terms of the bill. are divided into two classes. " quota" anlld " nonquota " immigrants. 41) " Quota " immigrants are composed of 100 persons plus 2 per cent of the nationals based upon the census of 1890. and (2) " Nonquota " immigrants. as defined in section 4. This bill provides for the admission as " quota immigrants of 100 persons in addition to 2 per cent of the number of foreignborn individuals of such nationality who are now residents of the United States. based on the census of 1890. In other words. 100 persons may be admitted from any foreign country. and in addition thereto 2 per cent of the nationals from that country who were residents of the United States as shown by the census of 1890. The bill also provides (sec. 2) that the consulai officials in foreign countries. under rules and regulations to be prescribed. may issue tentative immigration certificates up to but not to exceed the quota which it Is provided may come fronl that country. and this certificate shall indicate the natlonality. 1na1e. age. sex. race. and a sufficient personal descritetion to identify the applicant. the date and place of his birth. and such additional information as may be prescribed by the rules and regulations of the Secretary of Labor. who has the administration of the act in charge. These certificates may be issued to " quota " and " nonquota " immigrants. lie addition to the quota immigrants the bill provides (see. 4) that there niay be admitted in addition thereto as nonituota imimigrants children under tile age of 18. dependent parents over 55 years of age. husband or wife of a. citizen of the United Statel.. ian immigrant previously admizted and who is returning to this country after a temporary visit abroad. and one who lis continuously resided for the past 10 years in Ca ada. Newfoundlad. .Mexico. Cuba. Haiti. the Dominican Relul.lie. llte (anal Zone. or i1lnds adjacent to tile American continents. an imimigrant who continuously for the past two years preceding the time of his application to enter the United States has been. and who seeks to enter this country solely for the purpose of. carrying on the vocation of minister of any religious denomination or professor of a college or unlversity. a1li hmdgrant who is a skilled laborer. and students who desire to enter college and universities for the purpose of study. Based upon the census of 1890. it is estimated that the maximlum numlber of immigrants admitted annually would not exceed the total of 161.184. and I am herewith appending a table. based upon the best Information obtainable. as follows: Esthnated imnnigration quotas based on census report.s 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 1000 of 1010 of 1920 Albania ---------------------------------- 104 121 292 212 Armenia (Russian) ------------------------ 117 141 252 410 Austria --------------------------------- 1.090 1.891 4. 99I ip 510 Belgium ------------------------------- - 609 749 1.142 1. 356 Bulgaria ----------------------------------100 100 302 311 Czechoslovakia --------------------------- 1.973 3.531 11.472 7.350 Danzig. Free City of ---------------------- 323 314 300 250 Denmark --------------------------- ---2. 882 3. 298 3.846 3.844 Esthonia --------------------------------- 262 337 998 1.484 Finland ---------------------------------- 245 1.365 2.714 3.113 Fiuue. Free State Of ---------------------- 110 117 148 210 France ----------------------------------- 3.978 3.734 3.920 3.177 Germany --------------------------------- 45. 29 43. 041 40. 172 28.700 Great Britain and Korth Ireland --------- 41. 172 37. 282 34. 508 29. 152 Irish Free State ------------------------- 20. 889 18.041 17. 254 14. 576 Greece ------------------------------------ 135 259 2.142 3.625 lungary --------------------------------- 588 1.232 3.932 8.047 Iceland ----------- ----------------------- - 136 142 150 150 Italy ---------------------------------- -4.689 10.815 28. 138 32. 3 0 Latvia ------------------------------------ 217 371 1.126 1.681 Lithuania ------------------------------ -402 (155 1.852 2.801 Luxemburg .......----------------------- 158 161 162 352 Netherlands ---------------------------- - 1. 737 2.000 2. 04 2. 731 Norway --------------------------------- 6.553 6.857 8.234 7. 420 Poland ----------------------------------- 8.972 16.277 20.752 22.902 Portugal --------------------------------- 574 1.016 1.744 1.614 Rumania --------------------------------- 731 1.512 5.046 2.157 Russia ------------------------------------ 1.892 4. 596 16. 370 25 161 Spain (Including Canary Islands) ---------- 22. 245 708 1 320 Sweden ----------------------------------- 9.661 11.772 13.492 12.641) Switzerland --------------------_------- 2.181 2.414 2. 602 2.477 Yugolavia ------------------------------- 835 1.594 4.384 3.100 San Marin ------------------------------- 110 110 !10 110 Andorra ---------------------------------- 00 100 100 100 Lieehtenstein ---------------------------- 100 1O0 100 100 Monaco ---------------------------------- 100 100 100 100 Palestine ---------------------------------- 101 1941 138 16 Syria ------------------------------------- 112 167 688 1.142 Turkey .......... .---------------------- 123 218 1.870 841 ejaz ------------.------------------------ - 105 105 105 105 ?ersia ----------- ------------------------. 125 125 125 121 Egypt ------------------------------------ 106 108 112 117 Liberia ----------------------------------- 100 100 100 100 Abyssinla -------------------------------- 100 100 100 lO1 MVorocco --------- ------------------------ 100 100 100 1oo Union of South Africa --------------------- 110 110 110 110 Australia -------- ------------------------ 220 240 200 23 New Zealand and Pacific Islands --------- 167 152 134 176 Total ----------------------------- 161. 184 178. 769 239. 920 240. 400 This table not only shows the number that would be admitted. based on the census of 1890. but also the census of 1900. of 1910. and of 1920. By basing the admissions upon tile census of 1890 and reducing tile percentage from 3 to 2. the numher of immigrants to be adlmitted will be very greatly reduced. I favor a further reduction of the "quota " immigrants. etier by busing the admisslols upon an earlier census than that of 1890. or by reducing tle percentage from 2 to 1. and shall vote for such ill amendment if given 1111 opportunity. However. it is stated that 110 census prior to 1890 can be used as a basis for the reason thtat the nationality of immigrants is tot shown. There were admitted during the past year 522.919 inmigrants. whereas. under the provisions of this bill. there will he admitted 101.184 imigrants. During the past six months there were 469.000 Immigrlants adlitted into tie United States. Tile numler of immigrants admitted to our coutry drilg the more thii a century of our Government is a very interestiing study. rior to 1842 the lmber (lid not reach 100.000 in any one year. In 184.2. 104.50.5 were admitted. li 186.5 the tlulll)eV reached 459.803. The largest number admitted daring any one year was that of 1907 when 1.285.349 wore received. mied itn11 t11n a191 illi(n 1."line to em t y io il ye ts 1905. ar90t.t 1007. 1910. 1913. and 1.914. Since tile Vorl War a lnew tide of1 iiraApImL 8 migration started and in 1921. 805.228 Immigrants were admitted. but the number was reduced the following year by the act of May 19. 1921. and of May 11. 1922. From September 30. 1820. up to and including June 30. 1923. 35.292.506 immigrants were admitted to our shores. In order to get away from Old World conditions. unless Immigration is restricted as by the terms of this bill. we may expect a much larger influx of immigrants. The period of depression. unstable conditions. militarism. the love of political liberty. and religious freedom will greatly stimulate Immigration from Europe. This bill restricts immigration to those persons eligible to citizenship in the United States and it Is the purpose of the bill to reduce the number to those who can be assimilated. Every immigrant permanently admitted to our country should be carefully examined and none should be admitted except those who desire to and will become useful. productive. and patriotic citizens of the United States. -In considering this bill many questions are important. Immigration is a domestic question and one for congressional legislation. We have a right to determine how many immigrants may or may not be admitted from any country. We may admit from one country or class and not from another. In certain congested centers the percentage of foreign born is very high. The questions of assimilation. of education. of illiteracy. of teaching them the English language. of finding employmnent. of not displacing other labor. and many other questions go to make up the problem to be solved in considering immigration. It is imperative that we do not admit those who would make undesirable citizens or those who are ineligible to become citizens or those who could not be assimilated. The American Legion. at its annual convention In San Francisco in October. 1923. adopted the following resolution: Rcsolved. That Congress be urged to permanently deny admission hereafter. as immigrants or permanent residents. to all aliens who are ineligible to citizenship under the laws of the United States. The American Federation of Labor. in October. 1923. at Portland. Oreg.. In its annual convention. adopted the following resolution: We recommend that the executive council be instructed to advocate before the Sixtyeighth Congress a more stringent immigration policy under which immigration shall be curtailed below the present quotas. The American Farm Bureau Federation passed a resolution in Chicago on December 12. 1923. as follows: We favor a limitation of the number of immigrants permitted to enter this country to approximately the present total. We would shift the basis upon which the percentage is determined from 1910 to 1890. or an earlier period. We recommend that all Immigrants be selected after physical. mental. and other tests in the land of their nativity by representatives of our Government. and that the Congress take proper steps to put such plan into operation. It will be noted that the persons to be admitted. embodied in the pending bill. follow very closely the number recommended to he admitted in the above resolution. The National Grange. November 1424. 1923. at Pittsburgh. adopted tle following resolution at its annual meeting: The grange favors Immigration laws which will make for more loyal Americanism and better citizenship. and urges such modifications of the present laws as will accomplish this end. We favor the substitulion of the census of 1890 for the census of 1910 as the basis for the percentage immigration law should it be reenacted. We reiterate the previous action of the grange asking for denial of permanent residence in the United States to aliens ineligible to citizenship. The above resolution indorses the substitution of tile 1890 census for the census of 1910. In addition. various civic organizations and patriotic societies. chambers of commerce. and Daughters of the American Revolution have passed resolutions favoring a further restriction of Immigration and for the weeding out of the undesirables. and the selection of a better class of immigrants who would be eligible for citizenship when admitted and who could be assimilated into our body politic. While I am not a member of the committee. and have not had the time to carefully read all of the hearings and the argunients used before the committee. I favor a reduction in the number of immigrants to be admitted and a selective system by the issuance of tentative certificates in foreign countries. with a final determination by our more responsible officials in this country. so that the number of immigrants will be greatly reduced and confined to those eligible to citizenship in this country and those who will be in sympathy with our Constitution and laws and those who can be readily assimilated. We have had many people of foreign birth who have added greatly to our citizenship. We must not overlook the splendid record they have made.