Speech #800023796

Since 1931. it may be stated in passing. the aliens of northern and western Europe have used less than 32 percent of their permanent quota allocations. while there has been a long. crowded. waiting list for those requesting entrance into this country from central and southern Europe. According to the United States Department of Justice. Immigration and Naturalization Service. in the years 1900 to 1946. 19.446.910 aliens have been admitted into the United States for per-. manent residence. That figure is surprising and shocking to many people in this country. In 46 years. 19.446.910 have entered legally and taken up permanent residence in the United States. Of course. since 1929 the limitation upon the permanent residents has been 153.000 a year. In the year 1907. 1.285.349 aliens entered. We had no quota system at that time. and in several years more than 1.000.000 entered annually into this country. Assimilability is not rhetorical but basic. It is the very basis of the national origins provision of the Immigration Act of 1924. which was a realistic attempt to preserve some homogeneity in our population. which is so necessary among people dwelling togther under one government and as one nation. Any other course is bound in time to lead to internal dissension and continuous strife. and perhaps to the destruction of the very basis of our form of government. which has permitted us to grow into a strong nation of people. It may be interesting to point out the distribution of those who have come into America. Most of our foreignborn population is to be found in the northern rather than in the southern States. for it is in the northern region of our country that over 80 percent of the foreignborn immigrant stock is concentratedmore than 20 percent being jammed into the State of New York. The areas of greatest concentration are to be found in the highly industrialized States of New York. New Jersey.