Speech #780106393

I told him that the evidence was against me. the witnesses were against me. and everything else. and he said. "Well. you then raise hell with the judge." he said. "divert the issue." And. so it is as legislators. when we are against something. if there are no valid arguments we can advance to merit attention. the answer is to say. "Now is not the time to do it." Let me say to this House that the status quo is the plague to all progress. it has always been so to legislative progress. But. let me continue. I think we have covered the socalled basic Immigration proposition. I think an adequate answer to that has been given. This is merely a segment. and the same underlying polIcies as to Immigration exist as are embodied in the omnibus bill which was passed In 1935. It has been said here today. and I notice In the minority report which the gentleman from Michigan signed. and from which I quote. it says: It would be desirable. we think. to await the return of our soldiers from all the battle fronts before embarking on a radical change in our immigration laws. I wonder if it is unreasonable to assume that our soldiers and sailors and marines returning from the Pacific war front. fighting side by side. maybe literally side by side. with Chinese as brothers in arms. would not rather say to us that we. the Congress of the United States. have been derelict in our duty in wartime in not putting our brothers in arms on an equal basis with all the other allies. I have talked with servicemen and I think if this question were put to a poll of the armed forces of the United States whether we should repeal the Chinese Exclusion Act. the vote would be 99.44 for the repeal of the act. That expresses their opinion. Mr.