Speech #710175340

Hon. Frank B. Kellogg. is responsible for securing the cooperation of the Mexican Goverrinent in the enforcement by our own consuls of the immigration laws of the United States. Mr. Kellogg maintained that the State Department could adequately control the situation. which he proceeded to do. It was always his belief that to impose an immigration quota on Mexico was not only umnecessary but highly inadvisable. The Senator from Connecticut [Mr. BINHAMI oh last Friday read extracts from the testimiony of Mr. Kellogg before the Senate Committee on Immigratioln aid Naturalization. given on March 25. 1928. Let me read a few paragraphs in which the then Secretary of State stated his conclusions. I read. beginning on page 168 of the printed hearings. where Secretary Kellogg said: To summarize. it is apparently proposed to enact legislation extending quota restrictions to a group of countries which are the closest neighhors of the United States even though there is no reason for such restrictions arising from the nature or volume of the immigration from those countries and despite the fact that the contemplated action would involve serious disadvantages to the Unitpd States in two important respects. In the first place. it is the opinion of the accredited representatives of the United States In the countries concerned as well as representative business men and others in a position to have firsthand knowledge of the situation that the measure contemplated would. if put into effect at this time. seriously injure the relations of the United States with the American countries and that it might even threaten Pan Americanism. Needless to say this phase of the question is of great national importance as far as the foreign policy of the United States is concerned. In the second place. the economic situation of the country is involved since an important part of tile foreign investments and trade of the United States are in those countries anld would be vitally affected by any disturbance of the good relations now obtaining. As to Mexico. my statement deals with the international phlses of the problem without attempting to discuss to any extent the domestic side. Suffice it to say that the question of the domestic necessity or advisability of limiting immigration from Mexico is at least highly debatable. The statistics relating to the immigration from Mexico of aliens have already been given. These figures showed that 250.860 Mexicans returned to Mexico from the United States during the three years 1924 to 1926. while only 192.985 natives of Mexico of all classes were admitted to the United States during the fiscal years beginning July 1. 1924. 1925. and 1920. The improvement of our relations with Mexico is a source of considerable satisfaction to this Government and to the many American citizens and important commercial interests of this country in Mexico.