Speech #780099173

Mr. President. I ask consent to introduce a bill to repeal the Chinese exclusion acts. to establish quotas. and for other purposes. I have discussed this matter with Congressman MAGNUSON. of the State of Washington. who introduced H. R. 3070 on June 29. 1943. which is pending before the House Committee on Immigration and Naturalization. My bill is a companion bill. I have gone over the provisions of the bill carefully. It will be observed that section 1 would repeal all existing statutory provisions excluding persons of the Chinese race from entry into the United States. Section 2 would apply the immigration quota provisions to Chinese and would allocate all Chinese persons entering the United States as immigrants to the quota for China. Section 3 would extend the existing naturalization laws to include Chinese persons and persons of Chinese descent. The fact is that no useful purpose is now being served by retaining these exclusion laws In effect since under the quota provisions the Chinese quota would be only 105 persons annually. The heroic accomplishments of the Chinese people as one of the United Nations in the present global war against totalitarianism make it very appropriate that China should be treated on a par with other countries. The United States has already entered on this policy by voluntarily relinquishing extraterritorial jurisdiction over Americans in China and abolishing the United States Court for China which for many years exercised jurisdiction over such cases. The maximum immigration permissible under the existing quota laws for all nations is 153.774 persons annually. Whether the existing quotas should be increased or decreased involves a profoundly important question of policy which should not be covered by a bill dealing with the particular problem involved in repealing the Chinese exclusion acts. as is proposed in this measure. As a member of the Senate Immigration Committee. it is my purpose to try to get a favorable report on this bill as early as possible. I dedicate my efforts in this matter personally to the First Lady of China. Mine.