NATIONAL ORIGINS PROVISION OF IMMIGRATION LAW 103
among our first people, and they are still there, or some of their
kin, the best people in this country, no better at least.
Mr. Mowrrz. 1 am glad to hear you say that. ’
Senator Brease. I am a Methodist, a church that brought John
Wesley over here, and Wesley sald he received more inspiration
from the German preacher he talked to than from any other man
he talked to in his life.
So you see how I stand toward the German people. I came near
petting into jail about the war, because I did not want America to
Aght Germany; and I do not think yet we should have fought Ger-
many. But do you not think even if Germany does lose some,
that she can afford to do it to get rid of the undesirable elements
from other countries? I am not talking about your country—other
sountries.
My. Mowrrz. I do not think we are all “lily white ” at that. There
are black sheep in every flock.
Senator Brass. I have a very few bad ones in my section of
the country.
Mr. Mowirz. I agree with you there. We come in first contact
with the people who have come from over there in our efforts to
help them over the first impacts in the new country, and to help them
along so that they will head into the proper paths.
Senator Breas. Understand, my grandfather and grandmother
were born in Liverpool, England, and came directly to this country.
So, I am an Englishman, but T love everv German T have ever
seen.
Mr. Mowrrz. That is very nice of vou to sav, sir; but, Senator,
it is not advisable, when you are adopting a national policy, to make
a patchwork of it, which is always subject to attack, and will be a
bone of contention for years and years to come, will get into poli-
ties, and all that sort of thing, when you have before vou the testi-
mony of some of the greatest experts in the United States, and you
have the action of your own committee and of Congress itself. that
the national-origins theory is not practical.
Now, for the sake of trying to get an impractical thing, why ask
a group of people such as the German Americans, if you want to
call them that way—I prefer to say American, of German birth
or descent or citizens of German descent—to concede something that
they, in all fairness, ought not to be asked to concede? TI mean, you
are asking them to do that for the sake of putting into effect some-
thing that a great many people who are better qualified than I am
to judge of the question say is entirely impossible of execution?
Senator Kine. Mr. Mowitz, I think that you may assume that
this committee and Congress will not enlarge the number which
may come to the United States. There is no disposition to do that.
Mr. Mowrrz. I understand so.
Senator Kine. It is only a question whether there should be
164,000 or a little less.
Mr. Mowrirz. Yes, sir.
Senator Kixae. Whether it should be national origins or whether
there 1s some better basis. more accurate. more ust basis upon which
