Speech #680142021

That law was for five years and was to expire July 1. 1924. It therefore became imperative at the present session of Congress that a decision be made as to whether such restriction be continued. whether all restriction should be done away with as in the past. or whether a new method should be arrived at. In the meante it had become apparent that with the intensive develop. ment of the country and consequent concentration of population a policy of future unrestricted immigration would be suicidal to our labor and to our industrial structure generally. It was also felt that our Americanism should be further protected by such restriction ns would not only 1)e fair to all races and l)romote the assimilation of those already here. hut would also be fair to the United States. It was therefore suggested in Congress. and I actively supported the suggestion. that future immigration should be confined to a small percentage of those who have made America what it is. that is. of the descendants of all who have come to our shores from other lands. from the time of the founding of our country to the present day. This suggestion was enacted into a law restricting the entire immigration every year to 150.000. to be apportioned according to the national origins of all now in the United States. Americanborn as well as foreignborn. In other words.