Speech #740208369

President. the Senator from North Carolina desires his bill to be considered. He has only to indicate it. and the committee will consider it. But this is not an immigration bill. The trouble is that the public has been confused. There has been an improper and unjust propaganda. Many socalled 200percent Americans have tried to frighten the people and to deceive them as to the character of the bill which is before the Senate. They have been led to believe that this was a measure to open the flood gates for immigration. The only provision in it with respect to immigration is that it restricts more countries. Under the present law. persons may come in if they are qualified for work upon the farms. That is repealed. So we may not appeal to foreigners to come in to work upon our farms. they. of course. having the preference in the quota. That part is repealed. That is the only feature in the bill that might be denominated of an immigration character. It is essentially a deportation bill. not an immigration bill. The matter has -been confused and confounded and the public has been led to believe that it is a measure which would broaden our immigration policies and permit millions of people to come to the United States. Of course that is absurd. Restrictions now are imposed. and it may be in the near future we will further restrict the quotas of immigration. When an immigration bill is before the committee and before the Senate then we can consider the question of immigration. but not during the consideration of a deportation bill. Mr. President. if this bill shall be recommitted. so far as I am concerned that would end consideration of legislation of this character during this session. May I say that the Secretary of Labor reports to us that if a similar bill had been enacted into law 2 or 3 or 4 years ago. as the Bureau of Immigration desired. 8.000 or 9.000 of the 20.000 criminals the Department of Labor finds to be in the United States would have been deported. and if we do not pass this bill those 20.000 will remain and we will have the question before us again. It seems to me that wisdom. prudence. justice. and a proper regard for the economic condition of our country compel us to vote against recommitting the bill to the committee and to pass the same at the earliest possible moment.