Speech #860277335

Asia. and the Pacific oceanic areas. He also made recommendations that would eliminate the socalled mortgage on quotas arrangement existing under the Displaced Persons Act. In addition. he noted the need for proper alien orphan adoption legislation. together with several other liberalizing features on our immigration policy. On May 21. 1957. in a message to the Congress. the President further urged contributions to the United Nations and other international programs in the field of technical operation. assistance to refugees. migrants. childrens welfare. and assistance to escapees from Communist despotism. On March 13. 1959. the President again called for funds to continue the justmentioned programs. On May 21. 1959. the President held a conference at the White House on refugee problems and cited this countrys role in the World Refugee Year. On January 18. 1960. in his budget message for 1961. the President again requested funds to continue his mutual security program. Finally on March 17 of this year. the President. in a special message to Congress dealing solely with the subject of immigration. again strongly urged major revision of our immigration laws. This special message urged for Immediate action the following modifications in our basic immigration law: First. The removal of the ceiling of 2.000 on quotas within the AsiaticPacific triangle. Second. The basing of the overall limitation on immigration on the 1960 census as soon as it is available in place of that of 1920 which is the present base. Third. The annual acceptance of onesixth of 1 percent of our total population. Fourth. Abandonment of the concept of race and ethnic classifications within our population. at least for the purposes of the increases In quotas recommended. by substituting as the base for computation the number of immigrants actually accepted from each area between 1924 and 1959. Fifth. The distribution of unused quotas of undersubscribed countries distributed among oversubscribed countries.