Mr. President. at the conclusion of the investigation which a special Senate subcommittee had undertaken of Russias development of its vast hydroelectric resources. the distinguished junior Senator from Maine . a member of the subcommittee. on his way home. stopped off in Poland. It was his purpose to find the village from which his father had emigrated 59 years before. He wanted to visit his fathers birthplace and the graves of his paternal ancestors and. if possible. to find any relative who might still be alive. On his return he recounted his experience in a news release. In my view. and in that of others who have read Senator MUsKIEs moving account. our beloved colleague from Maine has made a memorable contribution to that enduring literature which embodies the heart and soul of the American idea. It reemphasizes the utterance. some years ago. of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. that once all Americans were immigrants. But beyond that. Senator MusKiEs release makes vivid that we. the descendants of immigrants to America. must be eternally grateful to our fathers and forefathers who had the vision and the initiative to leave the old world and seek freedom and greater opportunity in the new. Sometimes it would appear that some of our fellow citizens whose pioneering ancestors many generations ago courageously embarked on an uncharted course and left the old world. with its restrictions. rigidities. oppressions and inequalities. may have. to a degree. lost that passion for and understanding of what their forefathers envisioned and sought. But to those whose personal experiences and recollections of what America meant to our forebears are still freshthe first. second. and perhaps even the third generation of immigrants--EDMIUND MUSKIE.S message of renewal carries a special significance and poignancy. I ask unanimous consent that our colleagues inspired narrative be printed in the RECORD at the conclusion of my remarks.
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immigrants emigrated