Speech #850096051

This Is predominantly clear In my mind whenever I think about the assistance we are lending international migration. In this respect. I feel entitled to convey to the House a part of my experience gained over the last decade during which I have been closely associated with all legislation dealing with international migration and our own immigration problems. as well as with most international efforts aimed at relieving the population pressures where they exist and to supply underpopulated countries with manpower needed primarily to develop national resources and food production. It is my considered opinion that the era of mass immigration into the United States is a matter of the past. The fast rise of our own population and the overconcentration of our population. both native and immigrant. in urban and industrial centers make it imperative for this country not to exceed the present rate of our annual intake of immigrants. allowing. of course. for flexibility carefully controlled and operating solely in behalf of those who seek safe haven and asylum from persecution. or who come to the United States to join their close relatives. However. there are vast areas In the world where there is not only crying need for manpower but where agriculture must be developed in order to prevent starvation threatening the growing population of the world. These vast areas are located right next to our own doors. Latin America offers magnificent opportunities for the teeming masses of overcrowded southern and western Europe. Latin America needs European migrants who will impart to the native population their skill and experience in agricultural endeavor. The fact that we are struggling with the problem of agricultural surpluses shall not mislead us into believing that the outside world has enough food to sustain the bare minimum necessary to maintain a human being alive. Threefourths of the population of the world goes to bed every night inadequately fed. after having consumed less than onehalf of such minimum. The problem of mass starvation due to lack of agricultural production begins to haunt many lands from which we are not too far away. The basic reason for which we have created the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration in December 1951. was to provide an instrumentality to restore the balance between the overcrowded and the undermanned nations of the world through orderly migration of those who could not move without international assistance. Among those were not only natives of countries lacking in economic opportunities. but also the refugees who had to flee from Soviet Communist persecution. So far the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration has moved from Europe well over 600.000 migrants and just a few months ago. ICEM performed magnificently in a true emergency operation moving out of Austria and Yugoslavia over 150.000 Hungarian refugees. ICEM with a membership now comprising 27 nations is setting its sights a little higher hoping by the end of this year to move around 750.000 European migrants who without this organizations assistance would have remained in Europe further to swell the population surplus. It is clear to me. and I believe that my colleagues who have attended the many sessions of ICEMs Council over the last 5 or 6 years agree. that except for Latin America. Australia. Canada. and certain countries of Africa. resettlement opportunities for European migrants are shrinking rapidly. The only area where a truly dramatic expansion of those opportunities is possible to occur. are several countries of Latin America such as Brazil. Argentina.