130 NATIONAL ORIGINS PROVISION OF IMMIGRATION LAW
evidence, one might be inclined to give such a statement more weight than it
sometimes should receive and be entitled to. I consider the statement made as
one of these occasions.
It is not my purpose, by this letter, to set forth what I consider to be proper
and logical reasons why the national origins clause should be repealed, or, in
absence of such action, deferred at this session. My sole purpose is to indicate
that the members of the legion are not in unanimous agreement on this question.
At a later date I will undertake to state the reasons for my position in detail.
I also feel confident that many thousands of legionnaires will later register
their protest through their representatives in both branches of Congress.
Sincerely yours.
Jorn W. McCormack.
The Crarmmman. Is Congressman McCormack here? He desired to
be heard this morning. That letter is from him, evidently.
Senator Reep. Mr. Ridder asks to be heard.
The Cuamrman. Mr. Ridder. did vou desire to be heard on behalf
of——
Mz. Roper. I desired to be heard on behalf of the German element
of the United States.
The Ciramraran. Will you proceed, giving your name, residence.
and occupation, if you please?
STATEMENT OF VICTOR FRANK RIDDER, REPRESENTING
GERMAN ELEMENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Mr. Riper. My name is Victor Frank Ridder. I am one of the
publishers of the New York Staats-Zeitung, a German-language
paper published in the city of New York. I am down here to reg-
ister on behalf of the German element——
Senator Nye. You are the owner of more papers than the one at
New York?
Mr. Roper. Oh, yes; the New York Staats-Zeitung is a German-
language paper, which my brothers and I are owners of. We are also
owners of the Journal of Commerce in the city of New York, of the
Long Island Daily Press at Jamaica, Long Island, of the Pioneer
Press and Dispatch at St. Paul, Minn.; and of the Aberdeen Ameri-
can News, in Aberdeen, S. Dak. The last four are English-language
newspapers, and the Staats-Zeitung is a German-language paper
published in New York.
The Caammax. Mr. Ridder, will you please proceed in your own
way and make such statements as you desire in reference to the
national-origins subject?
Mr. Roper. I am here to-day representing the German element
of the United States in protest against the use of the national-
origins method as a basis for immigration, because we feel, in the
first place, that this basis is not accurate. The discussion which has
come out of that clause has demonstrated that it is not workable,
and that such an important matter as the immigration into the
United States should be based on something not only more scientific,
on something not only more accurate, but should be based particu-
larly on something which is founded on something more definite
than the very elusive and very intangible basis on which this na-
tional-origins clause rests, or rather on which the figures rest that
were compiled from it.
We believe that the basis is doubtful, but we also believe that the
figures as worked out are an injustice to the German element. in that
