Speech #740073477

As Mr. Simmons. Chief of the Visa Division. Department of State. said in his press release of April 30. 1934: "With the improvement in economic conditions. which is already setting in. the significance of the publiccharge clause will proportionately decrease." In other words. administrative strictness in interpreting the publiccharge provision is now being relaxed. until we will soon be admitting from quota countries 153.000 aliens each year. This is proven by the fact that last years immigration statistics show an increase of 50 percent in quota immigrationthat is. new seed immigrantsan 8percent increase in total aliens admitted. and a 60percent decrease in alien deportations. as well as a 50percent increase In deserting seamen. alien stowaways. and the like. During the 10 years of quota restriction 3.687.547 aliens of all classes have legally entered this country. 2.010.896 of whom were new Immigrants. But while the 1924 quota law did reduce the number of aliens coming legally from quota countries. a serious mistake was made when the quota was not applied to the Western Hemisphere. This left both side doors open. and predatory employers and profitseeking steamship companies were quick to take advantage of this mistake. These nonquota countries. and especially Mexico. supplied the cheap pauper labor that had formerly come from southern and eastern Europe. The legal and illegal entries from the nonquota countries. together with the increased smuggling of aliens and the desertion of alien seamen from quota nations. have done much to neutralize the beneficial effects of the 1924 Immigration Act. In other words. while we closed some of the doors. we left others open. and through these open doors aliens continued to enter in large numbers. My bill.