Speech #840116388

Mr. Speaker. there is a wellacknowledged axiom that there very seldom is brought forth a perfect leg slative bill. That generalization holds true for the M6CarranWalter Immigration Act and certainly there are some revisions needed. However. to hear Mr. Adlai Stevenson. candidate for the Democratic nomination for President. talk. one would think that the whole McCarranWalter law was a sinister act deliberately designed to discriminate against certain peoples. From what I have read of Mr. Stevensons criticism of the McCarranWalter Immigration Act. I felt that some of the facts should be set out so that blanket charges and veiled innuendoes. which are so glibly used by Mr. Stevenson. could be put in their proper perspective. It seems to me that Adlai Stevenson. in his eagerness to capture the Democratic nomination for the Presidency. is resorting to attacking the actions of the majority of his own party in an effort to win support of minority groups. Most recent of -these attacks was his January 1 statement on the 1952 Immigration Act. the socalled McCarranWalter Act. which he considers "harsh and restrictive." among other things. The fact that the 1952 Immigration Act passed a Democratcontrolled House of Representatives by an overwhelming majority of 206 to 62a standing vote. indicating the bills support was so great that a record vote was not even sought. that it came out of committee with a unanimous vote.- and that 107 Democrats voted to override the Presidents vetoas opposed to the 90 Democrats who voted to sustain the vetoapparently is. to Mr. Stevensons mind. beside the point. Had he read the RECORD and history of the bill. he also would have noted that the measure was supported in the Senate by a majority of his party.