Speech #680116430

The next proposal. that the exclusion clause be. deferred until March 1. 1925--eight months--during which time the President might negotiate for the end of the agreenient. was rejected by the House. I believe that the mere matter of date made no difference. and the Democratic leader. the gentleman from Tennessee . agrees with me on that. But it was the fear that the House might by its act be opening.the way for another long line of misunderstanding as to treaties and agreements. and to a degree forfeiting its right to participate In the handling of the immigration question. that led to the failure of that proposal. All agree that we can not settle the Japanese problem by letting Japan write or defer the writing of our Immigration laws. Mr. Speaker. we have had immigration troubles with both China and Japan. Our troubles with China. beginning witl our first treaty. extended for 50 years. and resulted in six treaties. two of which were broken by this country. and two or three of which were abrogated by China. Those troubles resulted in two presidential vetoes. resulted in the dstablishmeat of two commissions by Congress to investigate matters. resulted in numerous massacres and in the authorization by Congress of payments of two large sums to China for assaults upon their people here. In all. 10 acts of Congress in reference to Chinese exclusion were passed. prior to the final Chinese exclusion act. a section of which recognizes and revives a part of an immigration treaty of 1880. In the opinion of your committee the clauses of the bill now before you correct that situation. which relates to students. Then.