Speech #690171074

Mr. Speaker and Members of the House. on July 1. 1924. the United States embarked on a new immigration policy. commonly known as the quota system. From the inception of our Government until about 1875 there were no Immigration laws. Then all were welcome to come. From time to time between 1875 and 1917 Congress passed immigration laws which barred from our shores certain classes of immigrants. In 1917 Congress enacted a comprehensive immigration law which established a selectiveimmigration policy. The immigration act of 1917 excluded from admission into the United States about 25 classes of undesirable aliens. These classes included any immigrant who was mentally. morally. or physically unfit. or who would become a public charge. or who believed in anarchism or in the destruction of our Government. There was one qualification incorporated in this law which I believe was intended to restrict immigration from southern and eastern Europe. that was the literacy test. Inmediately after the armistice was signed several selfstyled patriotic organizations initiated a campaign in the United States which had for its purpose the creation of a feeling among our people antagonistic to the foreign born and the immigrants who were born or cane from southern or eastern European countries. It became very fashionable to attack the foreign born and the immigrants. Numerous articles were published in magazines and newspapers. all tending to prove that the immigrants from eastern and southern Europe would bring with them bolshevistic ideas. The bugaboo was created that these immigrants would organize here to overthrow our Government. Ridiculous and unwarranted statements and arguments were published to inflame the American people against the foreign born and the immigrant. This propaganda gave birth to a new idea. to wit. Nordic superiority.