Speech #890019101

said he was not contending persons from northern Europe were solely responsible for building the United States. "I know that immigrants from other countries made great contributions." he said. "What I said was that the greatest contribution was made by those from northern Europe. and that is correct." In his statement. Mr. Rusk stressed the provision of the administration bill that would get rid of the national origins quota system. first written into law in 1924. He said "it is the national origins principle. rather than actual immigration. which is singled out by our critics." and which hurts the position of the United States abroad in many cases. Several foreign ministers. he said. had told him they believed "this principle discriminates against their countries." "They were not complaining about numbers but about the principle which they considered discriminatory." he said. [From the Washington Star. Feb. 25. 19651