Speech #790105985

Shall we start that with India. that is said to have 400.000.000 people? All the goods that America can sell to India in the next thousand years is not worth the life of one American boyif it is your boy. or any other American boy. is it? Let us stop this dollar propaganda and maybe they will quit calling Uncle Sam "Uncle Shylock." The United States through a long period of many years has established a very good immigration system based on the fact that a nations sovereignty gives it a perfect right to set down the rules and regulations under which nationals of other countries may enter and may become citizens. Too often we hear that an injustice exists when the bars are not let down to this country or that. and that discrimination is against such nationals of other cointries. This is not true because the right to enter a country or to become a citizen of it is a privilege granted by the adopted country and not a right. If it be a privilege and a right no injustice and no discrimination can be correctly charged. The sponsors of this -bill claim the letting in of 100 a year is insignificant. Perhaps it would be if it would stop there until peace were estab.9524 lished and a general overhauling of the immigration laws should be deemed advisable and should be undertaken. Oh. yes. admit only 100that doesnt matter. they say! Do you remember the story of the break in the dike? A leak so small that the water was easily held back until the dike was repaired and safety assured. Let us now stop the leak in the immigration dike. This attempted break in the immigration laws should be prevented and thereby stop danger to the immigration system and assure perfect safety to American labor and the American form of government. This is not the time to change our immigration policy with respect to the Indians or any other people. This bill does not determine any particular issue. Most certainly many problems will arise .out of it if it should become a law. It gives a quota and breaks down a vital point in our immigration policy. It is like breaking a link in a strong. taut chAin. as a result of which the entire chain falls. requiring much labor to repair and to restore. even if so much dam.age has not been done as to make any attempt at repair or restoration impossible. Immediately after peace will have been established. a deluge of people will clamor for entrance.