Speech #820233864

24. 1952 Whereas there is need for thorough revision and codification of our laws relating to immigration and naturalization: (1) to correct the utter confusion resulting from piecemeal amendments and changes over many decades. (2) to enable our country to meet her great responsibilities in a new and rapidly changing world in a more realistic and equitable manner. and (3) to correct certain flagrant injustices which are a hangover from our past isolation and which now seriously hamper our influence for liberty in a troubled world. and Whereas the Senate bill S. 2842. known as the HumphreyLehman bill. introduced by these two and ten other Senators. would meet the present needs in a liberal and progressive manner in that it would among other things: (1) Remove all racial discrimination. (2) Revise the quota system on the basis of the 1950 census. instead of the 1920 census as at present. (3) Provide for pooling the unused quotas of countries which do not use their quotas among those which are very limited and which are "mortgaged" for decades to come .by the displaced persons legislation. and (4) Liberalize our laws and provide for judicial review of arbitrary actions by consular officials. and Whereas the Walter bill. H. R. 5678. passed in the House on April 25 and the McCarran bill. S. 2550. passed in the Senate on May 22. while making a few improvements such as those relating to the admission of a few orientals. not only fail utterly to meet the need of this hour but contain many reactionary provisions. since specifically. among other things: (1) They would continue the practices of discrimination against certain racial and national groups. (2) They continue using the census of 1920 as the basis of quota apportionments for immigration. (3) They would give consular officials arbitrary power in the matter of visas. with no provision for judicial review: Therefore. be it Resolved. That we deplore and protest the passage of the Walter bill in the House and the McCarran bill in the Senate. and that specifically (1) We urge the President. Harry S. Truman. to veto the Immigration bill which comes from the Conference Committee. embodying the provisions of these bills. (2) We urge our Massachusetts Senators and Representatives to support such a Presidential veto if it is given. (3) We urge our Senators and Representatives to start work immediately for a statesmanlike revision of our immigration legislation in harmony with the general principles of the HumphreyLehman bill. S. 2842. (4) We commend our two Massachusetts Senators. LEVERETT SALTONSTALL and HENRY CABOT LODGE. Jr.. for their votes on May 21 in favor of the motion to substitute the Lehman bill for the McCarran bill. and be it further Resolved. That we especially urge our people to study carefully the whole matter of immigration to the end that we may help to build the alert and informed public opinion necessary to secure and to sustain a new immigration policy in harmony with our highest ideals of Christian democracy.