36 WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION

The second is a soil that enables the farmer to produce those in
snormous quantities, productive quantities, and profitable quantities.
And third, heretofore an adequate labor supply. Without the labor
supply the lower Rio Grande Valley will not be a highly specialized,
a highly profitable agricultural community and can not be.
The population at this time is estimated on the basis of the school
census at around 200,000, perhaps a little more than 200,000. We
believe it is capable of sustaining a population of a million and a half
or two million, engaged basically in agriculture. That condition
must, if the possibilities are carried out—that must depend upon
labor, and as we understand it, Mexican labor, Mr. Chairman.
Americans for some reason will not go into the sunshine and compete
with the Mexicans. On the other hand, the Mexicans do very little
competing in the highly specialized branches of labor. You will net
find them to any appreciable extent on the section gangs or as trainmen.
 You may find some of them on the section gangs, but as brakemen
 and conductors, and so forth, you will not find them.
Already the restricted immigration that we now have has affected
the progress of development in the last two or three years of our
community. The rigorous requirements of the present immigration
law have cut down, in my community at least along the border, by
60 or 65 per cent the immigrants from below the border.
I will say also that while immigration was easy from below the
border, they came and went. They would come as the need existed
and go away again, maybe in a few weeks or a few months.
The CuairmaN. When was that?
Mr. Yares. Several years ago.
The CuarrmaN. Twelve years ago?
Mr. Yares. Well, more than 12 years ago, yes. There was much
more of an influx. In the last 10 years it has been somewhat more
stabilized by the fact that the requirements were such that it was diffisult
 to get over here, and naturally they are an illiterate people.
The Cratrman. What kind of people?
Mr. Yates. They are illiterate people, as you gentlemen, of course,
know. I do not pretend to furnish you with statistics. I am sure
that you gentlemen have all the statistics and all the scientific information
 on the subject.
The CratrMaN. You mean that those who come to work in these
four counties are illiterate?
Mr. Yates. Generally speaking they are illiterate. They are able
to read in a rough way usually, a little bit, and sign their names.
That is all. They are for the most part honest and hard working:
that is nearly all of them are.
Incidentally a reference was made a while ago that reminded me of
this, that the first casualty from my county in the World War was a
Mexican, and, for the most part, they went without any great trouble.
Even the married ones did not take advantage of the exemptions in
the way that lots of other people did. Some of them. of course, propagandized,
 as they were, went away.
The Crairman. When you say that this first casualty was a Mexican,
 was he a citizen of the United States?
Mr. Yates. He was a citizen of the community but of Mexican
ancestry and barelv able to speak the Knelish lancuace.