Speech #710216137

Mr. Speaker. under the leave to extend my remarks in the RECoRD. I include the following address delivered by me last evening over the radio: Few. if any. of our public questions are more important or more interesting than the immigration of new people. In our early history we invited and encouraged Immigrants. Never In the history of the world has there been such a movement of people as that which occurred in the 10 decades preceding the passage of our first quota law in 1921. In a period of a few years an army of pioneers. nativeborn and immigrant. crossed the Alleghenies. scattered themselves over the wide prairies and fertile valleys of the Middle West. scaled the mighty mountains. penetrated the vast forests of the western slopes. and pushing one frontier after another before them were stopped only by the mighty Pacific. Just before the World War the line of immigrants coming Into our country averaged a million a year. Congress had sensed the danger in this flood of new people and gave a warning by passing the 1917 restriction bill. which President Wilson vetoed but which was promptly passed over his veto. In 1921 Congress passed the first quota law. which was followed by the act of .1924. which is the basis of all xe-