Speech #760079736

The Departments figures show approximately 700.000. They bring the figures to Washington. as the Senator understands. and the number is about 700.000 at the present time. The Senator from Michigan then inquired as to visitors visas. visas for temporary admission into the United States. and indicated a fear that because of the fact that the number of visitors visas had increased in the last few years. that method was being used to evade and avoid the quota laws. So I have obtained the figures as to visitors visas for the 10year period between 1920 and 1930. There were 1.774.881 issued. or an average of 177.488 a year. During the 8year period from 1931 to 1938. inclusive. 1.257.706 were issued. or an average of approximately 150.000 a year. So that the visitors visas during the last 8 years numbered approximately 27.000 less than during the period between 1921 and 1930. inclusive. There is another way to answer the particular question which the Senator from Michigan asked. as to whether or not the quota laws were being evaded by the use of visitors visas. We should consider the fact that during the last 8 years the quotas of the various nations altogether have been used only to the extent of about 16 percent. In other words. the quotas of all the countries during that period amounted to 1.230.192. and they have been used only to the extent of 153.774. So that since the quotas are not all being used. and since the number of visitors visas have decreased during late years as compared with the period of the 1920s. I think the question which the Senator submitted is pretty fairly answered. There is no evasion of the quota laws by the -use of visitors visas.