Speech #790035186

Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 52. before us for consideration. gives authority tc the Committee on Immigration of the House to investigate immigration quotas and for other purposes. and to make recommendations as to postwar quotas and other matters pertaining to immigration. refugees. and other related questions. There will be many very serious and Important problems coming before us immediately after the present war. as we found following the First World War. During the First World War tens of millions of dissatisfied and distressed people of Europe had learned of the great riches. wonderful opportunities. and freedom of our country and they set about to come to the United States. When I first became a Member of this House on March 4. 1919. the Republicans were in control of the House and Senate. and because of the threat of this great influx of foreign population the Republican Congress restricted the immigration law. President Wilson vetoed. as I remember. that bill and it could not be passed over his veto. Mr. Harding became President March 4. 1921. with a heavy Republican majority in the House and Senate. Congress promptly passed a restricted immigration law which was approved by President Harding. It was found that the act of 1921 did not fully meet the situation. In 1924 a real restricted immigration law was passed by Congress. It was a battle royal in Congress. Nearly every country of the world had representatives here. lobbying with the American Congress to get favored consideration in quotas. The Chinese and Japanese were excluded under the law from becoming immigrants of this country and citizens. This Chinese Exclusion Act was bitterly resented by the Japanese. This new bill of 1924 did not grant to the Chinese or the Japanese any quota and they could not become immigrants or citizens of the United States. The Japanese especially resented these provisions in the bill and Congress was informed that the Japanese Ambassador to the United States had called upon President Coolidgewho had succeeded President Hardingand said that if Congress passed that bill it would mean war between this country and Japan. The Senate and the House. however. stood up. and passed the bill. and the Chinese and the Japanese were excluded and given no quota. This remained the law until about a year ago. when the administration secured the amendment to the Immigration Act of 1924 and gave to China a small quota. This is. of course. an entering wedge and there will be much effort made to increase the quota for the Chinese. More than 700.000 refugees have already been admitted to our country. and no one can tell how many hundreds of thousands have come in surreptitiously and in violation of our laws. These refugees and others want to remain in this country. There are literally tens of millions of people in all parts of the world who will make every effort possible to come to the United States. In 1924 the big fight was over the quota that the countries of Europe should have.