Speech #850153447

Why should not we have them? Why should a cruel quota bar their way? My bill likewise. would do away with the inequities and discrimination that now plague naturalized citizens. There would be no difference between a naturalized and a native born citizen. I have been interested in Italian emigration for years. I know the emigration needs of Italy. Italy must export upward of 100.000 of her natives each year. Her natural growth. plus the coming of refugees and stateless persons into her confines. causes considerable difficultydifficulty in housing. feeding. and clothing this great growth of persons. Italy does not have the absorption capacity to take care of all these people. Some must leave her shores. Unfortunately. In some countries the blinds are drawn and the doors are shut in the face of Italian emigration. It takes all the statesmanship. the wit. and the ingenuity of Italian diplomats and publicists to keep some doors open to Italian emigrants. I have been to some 20 countries in South America where Italian ambassadors are doing a splendid job in aiding emigration of Italians to those Republics. The same is true of Central America. As chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary of the Congress of the United States. which has jurisdiction over immigration. I have struggled personally to bring in more and more Italians. For this purpose I have consistently advocated a liberalized immigration policy. In these efforts I have been abetted by the Honorable PETER RODINO. JR.. member of my Judiciary Committee of whom I spoke before. and others of Italian lineage. During my recent visit to Italy. I met with Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. the Honorable Carmine de Martino. and the Italian Ambassador for Emigration. the Honorable Luciano Mascia. both eminent and dedicated officials. I discussed with them at some length the Italian emigration problems and the resettlement of Italian emigrants into South and North America. I explained to them my plans for this coming session of Congress with respect to immigration. Ambassador Mascia has had a distinguished career in the Italian service. He has been counselor in Moscow and remained in that position until 1941.