Speech #780106280

They went on record in resolution at their national convention held at Kansas City. Mo.. in September 1943. expressing opposition to this proposed legislation. Their representative appeared before the Immigration Committee on these bills relating to the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act and emphasized the opposition of the American Legion in the following statement. which is found on pages 168 and 169 of the hearings: The American Legion at its national convention held at Kansas City. Mo.. in September of last year. went on record favoring drastic restriction in immigration following the war until jobs have been provided for those returning to civil life from war scvvice. Certainly our most immediate and most important job after the cessation of hostilities will be to find jobs for the millions of men and women who are or will serve in our armed forces. and no one can now predict what economic conditions will prevail in this country at that time. We appreciate and commend the Chinese people for the wonderful service they have performed in holding the Japanese at bay. One argument we have heard advanced favoring enactment of these bills is that such action will raise the morale of the Chinese people. It is our opinion that very few of the Chinese who are carrying on the war in China have given any thought to the repeal of the Chinese exclusion laws. The naturalization and immigration question as it affects the Chinese can well wait until the war is over when basic and sound consideration can be given it without the influence of war hysteria. The American Legion has been disturbed by the efforts of certain groups to force through legislation at this time which would confer citizenship on large numbers of aliens or to make drastic changes in our immigration laws. Bills are pending to effect a number of these changes and others no doubt will be introduced. The sum total of this proposed legislation if enacted by the Congres would go far toward the breaking down of the safeguards provided by our immigration and naturalization laws. which have been so carefully worked out and placed on the statute books after many years of work and study. We feel that naturalization and immigration rights granted the Chinese at this particular time will be used as an opening wedge toward following through with similar rights for other groups. We are very definitely of the opinion that such a procedure would not contribute to our war effort and would certainly jeopardize the providing of jobs for our servicemen after the war. The Director of our National Americanism Commission. Mr.. Homer L. Chaillaus. in a letter addressed to the National Legislative Committee of the Legion stated: "Instead of trying to pave the way to bring more and more refugees and immigrants to America now and after the war. we had best start passing legislation which will provide the first 12.000.000 jobs immediately after the war for returning soldiers and sailors. "We must not start giving postwar work to alien immigrants ahead of those men who have honorably served our country in war." The national organization of the Veterans of Foreign Wars likewise appeared before the Committee on Immigration and pointed out that this great veterans patriotic organization was also against this legislation. The representative of the V. F. W. stated to the committee: For many years and for good reasons it has been the policy of this organization to oppose any and all bills to liberalize existing immigration laws and there is no apparent need for the radical revision of such laws during this wartime period. The organization sincerely believes that the consideration of legislation to amend immigration laws may well be postponed until hostilities cease (Hearings. pp. 175 and 176). Hon. John D.