WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION 77
Mr. Bent. 1 think we have some, and some of those gentlemen
have met with us, and we got the benefit of all they know.
The CuairMAN. You have quite a library on this subject available
to the members of this committee?
Mr. Bent. I have a great deal of it myself. Thirdly, we believe
8 rigid application of existing laws would cure the evils or at least
remove anything that could be regarded as a menace. And fourth,
we hope if something else has to be done, a solution may be found
that would not be an affront to our next-door neighbor, a nation with
which we have tried to develop friendly relations.
Those are our conclusions, and the action we took is expressed in the
sentence I previously read—*“we think it inappropriate to extend the
principle of the quota to Mexico.”
The Cuairman. In the convention of the National Chamber of
Commerce when that resolution was adopted, was there a general
discussion of that subject?
Mr. Bent. The proposed resolution was sent out to all members
30 days before the meeting. The by-laws require that the membership
 have them 30 days before the meeting, and the consideration
and discussion were not restricted at all.
The Cuairman. That was at a meeting in May?
Mr. Bent. May, 1927.
The CuairMaN. And not May of last year?
Mr. Bent. No,-sir.
The Cuairman. It was the annual meeting of the chamber?
Mr. Bent. Yes, sir.
The Cuamrman. Then your entire membership was——
Mr. Bent. Was represented ; yes, sir.
The CuarrmaN. Your membership consists of other chambers of
commerce throughout the United States.
Mr. Bent, Organization members; yes, sir.
The CuarrmMaN. Did they answer a questionnaire?
Mr. Bent. No; no referendum was sent out on this subject—
merely a copy of the resolution proposed. which had been sent in
by some organization member.
) The Cmarrman, I ask at this time whether relations were not
Pending between certain persons who might be said informally to
represent the Mexican Government and the United States Government,
 also if relations were not being carried on between the Mexican
Federation of Labor, which is, if I am correctly informed, a sort of
semiofficial or semigovernmental organization, and the American
Federation of Labor?
Myr. Bent. I do not know, sir.
The Cuatrman. And if they were—was that the year the American
Federation of Labor met in Los Angeles? Is not that the year that
the American Federation of Labor undertaking to work along the
same plan, decided not to go on record favoring this restriction in
the hope that the laboring elements of the two adjacent governments
 might cause their government to do something that would
Cause a stoppage of the flow into the United States?
Mr. Bent. I do not know. :
The Cuamrman. You did not follow those proceedings in the
National Chamber?
Mr. Bent. Yes, sir; but not the Federation of Labor meetings.
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