Speech #740199637

My sympathies are with the Americans and not with the aliens. Listen to this: One of the moving considerations which led the welfare agency in its report to recommend leniency in the case of Grener was that if he should be returned to France he would face court martial. Of all reasons for staying a deportation. of all reasons for keeping a criminal in this country. the reason assigned for not sending him back to France. the country whose flag he had dishonored. the soil of which he had besmirched. was that they did not wish to see the poor fellow courtmartialed. If an American of that kind were in Franceassuming there ever was an American like thathow long do Senators think he would be permitted to stay there? He would be kicked out of France so fast that the seat of his trousers would be as full of holes as a Swiss cheese. The seat of his trousers would look as the immigration laws of this country will look if the pending bill shall be passed. That. Senators. is the case of George Gaston Grenier. Later I shall discuss the question as to whether or not those who come into this country have to undergo physical examination upon their arrival. Before I reach that. however. I again wish publicly to thank the Senator from Vermont. who is standing for Americans in preference to aliens. for bringing to my attention the sworn testimony appearing in the hearings before the Committee on Immigration. United States Senate. Seventyfourth Congress. second session. on Senate bill 2969. part 4. March 11. 1936. I read from page 201. that which was especially called to my attention by the Senator from Vermont. Senator KINGThe Senator from Utah is a member of the Committee on Immigration. and at that time. as I recall. he was sitting with the chairman of the Committee on Immigration. the Senator from Massachusetts . The Senator from Utah asked the question: Those 2.800 deported are not habitual criminals. and are not tainted with any acts of conduct which would make them unfit for citizenship? Colonel MacCormack. who was on the stand. answered under oath: Absolutely not. What in the world did Colonel MacCormack mean? Colonel MacCormack was before the Senate Committee on Immigration. Colonel MacCormack. I assume. had been sworn. I assume Colonel MacCormack was testifying under oath. If he was not under oath. at least he was testifying. and. regardless of whether or not the oath had been administered to him. he was supposed to tell the truth. the whole truth. and nothing but the truth. because the Senate Committee on Immigration was sitting as a body for the purpose of getting sufficient information on which .telligently to pass upon this most important legislation. The Senator from Utah asked the question: Those 2.800 deported are not habitual criminals. and lre not tainted with any acts of conduct which would make them unfit for citizenship? Colonel MacCormack answered: Absolutely not. He said "absolutely not." That is what he told the Senate committee.