Speech #770167253

Mr. Speaker. this rule makes in order the bill II. R. 6600. which comes to us unanimously reported by the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization. Although this bill comes from the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization it is not a naturalization bill. as some Members believe. This bill has for its purpose merely the aiding of Americanborn citizens who cannot somehow or other prove that they were born where they were born. The bill was originally introduced by the chairman of the Committee on Immigration. and it was favorably reported and the report was filed by the gentleman from Louisiana . I am satisfied that the legislation is a step in the right direction and that it is necessary. because we have in this country many. many thousands of Americanborn citizens who cannot somehow or other prove the time or place of their birth. This merely will permit that Bureau of the Government dealing with immigration and naturalization to issue to such people. after the Government officials have satisfied themselves by their own investigation that these individuals are Americanborn. a certificate of their American origin. In view of this fact I think there should be no opposition to the rule. and I hope there will be no opposition to either the rule or the bill. This bill does not apply to foreignborn American citizens. those who have been made citizens through our processes of naturalization. We have ii- this country a very large number of foreignborn citizens. many of them trying to become citizens but who through no fault of their own have been unable to obtain naturalization papers. I hope the Department will give these people deserving of becoming.American citizens a proper opportunty of doing so. I know that in these crucial and critical times many people labor under the impression that numbers of these foreignborn. or even those born in this country with foreign names. cannot be trusted. The same arguments were made during the first war. At that time I assured the House and the country that by far the greater number of the foreignborn residing in the -United States and those who had been naturalized were absolutely loyal to this country. ready and willing to do their part for their adopted country. and that assurance was proven by the tremendous number of voluntary enlistments and wholehearted cooperation during the last war. What applied then applies today. I concede that there is a small number of misguided men in this country. men who came here from Germany or Italy. who may not have seen the advantages this country is offering them. and the advantages they enjoy. but this is only a small group and mainly among the new arrivals. in whom the NaziFascist ideology has been unfortunately instilled and in which they seem to believe.