Speech #710030796

Mr. President. from the discussion which has gone on in this body. as well as the articles which have been printed in the newspapers and the propaganda sent about the country. it is very apparent that the popular idea of the nationalorigins measure is that it places a restriction upon immigration. I think that is what the average citizen believes the bill means. that when the national origins law shall be put into effect. there will be a material restriction in immigration to this country. I have a letter in my hand from a very distinguished citizen of my State. formerly in the diplomatic service. a minister of our country. who writes me saying:We think alike on George Washington. the American Constitution. and other matters. therefore I look for your support in the matter of supporting the bill of Senator REED. of Pennsylvania. dealing with aliens flooding our homegrown population. The popular idea is that under the present law aliens are flooding our country. and that under the national origins act there will be a restriction of immigration. Of course. that is not true. There will be some restriction of immigration. about 11.000. as I recall it. 11.000 fewer persons than under the present law. Think of it. during the first year after the war. I believe it was. nearly a million immigrants came to this country. Under the present law we restrict the number to 164.000. and under the nationalorigins provision. supported by the Senator from Pennsylvania. the number will be 153.000. So instead of having a million. as we had immediately after the war. instead of having 164.000. as we have now. if the nationalorigins clause shall take effect. there will be only 11.000 fewer persons coming in than at present. So the nationalorigins plan is not a measure to restrict immigration. Why do not the men who are interested in restriction bring In a bill changing the percentage? Instead of the 2 per cent basis under the census of 1890 why should not those who are seeking restriction propose 11/2 per cent based on the 1890 census. or 1 per cent based on that census? But. as a matter of fact. restriction of immigration is not the question at issue. The question before us is a proposal to change the fundamental immigration law. to change the proportion of nationals. which in effect will cut out 50 per cent of the Germans and Irish who now come in and limit the number of Scandinavians. The number of British will be so increased as to replace practically all the northern Europeans excluded. I listened to a speech just now from one of my colleagues on this side which was a plain intimation that the Black Hand people and the bandits and the thugs come from the Germans and Scandinavians.