The Senate yesterday very definitely adopted the policy of restricted selective immigration. a policy with which I am in hearty accord and which I shall support by voting for the bill on its final passage. We are now to find out whether the Senate is willing to nullify. in effect. its action of yesterday by refusing to reduce. particularly. the immigration from Mexico by placing it on a quota basis. I wonder whether Senators have had their attention drawn to the situation which now exists? We adopted yesterday a provision which seeks to limit the quota to about 169.000 per year. and yet last year there came in across the Mexican border. practically without let or hindrance. 63.000 people. That many we know of. I give it as my opinion. based upon the opinion of immigration officials. that there were many more than that. perhaps 100.000. but we know of approximately 63.000. Now. what does it amount to to shut and padlock the front door. as we practically did by our action yesterday. and yet leave the back door open so that substantiaily anyone wbo seeks to enter the United States can come in by way of that portal? It is not an imaginary evil by which we are confronted and for which we must seek remedy. In the years 1913 and 1914 only 1 per cent of the immigration that entered this country came from Mexico. In the year 192021.. 3.7 per cent came from Mexico. the year 192223. 12 per cent came from Mexico. or. taking the figures for those years. 13.000 in 1914. 29.000 in 1920. and 62.700. or approximately 63.000. in 192223. Mr.
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immigration