Speech #830100607

Chairman. I desire to recite some figures which are indeed most interesting. During the years from 1947 through 1951. we find that the overwhelming majority of the immigrants coming to our country wound up in the large cities of our Nation. The annual report for 1951 of the Immigration and Naturalization Service shows that in 1947. 147.292 immigrants came to this country and that 122.060 of them settled in the urban or city areas. leaving only 24.141 settling in the small towns and rural sections. In 1951. this report discloses that 205.717 immigrants came to our shores. and that 176.588 settled in the urban and city areas. leaving only 27.674 to settle in the small towns and rural sections of our land. This same report discloses that in 1947. 47.353 immigrants were allocated to the State of New York and that 33.847 of these settled in New York City. In 1951. 60.113 immigrants were allotted to the State of New York and 45.650 of these settled in New York City. This report reveals that during the year 1951. 96.515 displaced persons entered our country. and of this number 59.417 are now residing in the large cities. Of this number 24.215 are residing in urban areas and only 12.865 reside in the rural areas of our country. This shows. Mr. Chairman. that the displaced persons and all other immigrants entering our Nation flock to the congested areas of population and remain there. During the debate on the first displaced persons bill. it was strongly argued that we needed these people to help operate the farms of our Nation. The same report referred to above discloses some most interesting figures relative to the farm laborers among the groups entering our country from 1947 through 1951. In 1947 a total of 147.292 immigrants came to our shores and of this number only 442 could be listed as farm laborers or foremen. In 1951. out of the 205.717 entering our country only 4.972 could be classified as farm laborers or foremen. Can we expect any better record under this new bill? Mr. Chairman. perhaps the most serious phase of this problem is the question of subversives. There is no way for our Government officials to check the record of the bulk of the refugees in*volved in this bill. Under the first displacedpersons bill. we were fortunate enough to have the public records compiled by the Germans so that each person could be checked as to his or her :past record. Under the conditions existing in Europe today our officials will be compelled to accept the word of the individual refugee without having available any verification that he is not a