Speech #690245463

I am not at this time a member of his committee. but I served on that committee for six years. . He was my master and instructor. I followed eagerly in the footsteps of.that great. constructive statesman. and I want .to say now that ALBERT JOHNSON of Washington has rendered a service to the United States by his work on immigration which deserves to have him immortalized for all time. I think he will say that .I have been a willing and diligent pupil. and it Is most awkward for me this evening to say that I believe in this instance he is mistaken. I was a member of the two conference committees which put into final shape the original quota restriction act of 1921 and the present restriction act of 1924. and I want to review very briefly the history of the legislation and the reasons for our present situation. Prior.to 1921 there had grown to be a feeling that we were not only getting by far too great a totalbulk of immigration but that it had so shifted with respect- to the sources from which it came that we were getting a greatpart of our immigration from the countries of southern and eastern Europe and a comparatively small part from the countries of northern and western Europe. and that this was changing the proportions of American blood in a degree which was undesirable. So we passed the socalled 3 per cent act of 1921.. The effect of this act was to admit. under the quotaand there were a good .many