136 ~~ NATIONAL ORIGINS PROVISION OF IMMIGRATION LAW 
it is very hard to say what is desirable immigration. When you 
look into it and see some people who came over and who have proven 
themselves great Americans, though you and I agree if they had 
applied to us for admission we would have barred them right away, 
and we would feel we were doing something for the good of the 
country, and yet those men turned out very well. It is a very dif- 
ficult thing to do. But out feeling is thai the best basis would be 
some selection of immigration, a personal selection rather than group 
selection, if that could be done. But if you are going to use some 
basis, then at least let us go back to the 1790 basis. 
Senator Nye. You mean 1890 basis? 
Mr. Roper. I mean 1890, which is now working out fairly satis- 
factorily. I think, while there are protests on every side, if you 
could have every one speak they would feel there was more sound 
basis for this 1890 than there is for the 1790, and if any hardships 
for the British immigration then arbitrarily increase British 
immigration, there is no objection to that. . 
Senator Rupp. I think we understand your position. 
The Cmamrmaxn. Are there any other questions by other members 
of the committee to be asked Mr. Ridder? [After a pause.] That 
1S all, Thank you very much. Is Congressman McCormack here 
now ? 
Representative McCormack. Yes, sir. 
The Cmamrman. Congressman, I understood you wished to be 
heard upon this matter. 
Representative McCormack. Just briefly. 
STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN W. MeCORMACK, REPRESENTATIVE 
IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS 
Representative McCormack. I received quite a few telegrams as 
the result of the utterances made by the representative of the Amer- 
ican Legion at the hearing last Saturday, and particularly 
on two aspects of his utterances. First, where he undertook to 
represent to the committee, as I understand it, that 860,000 or more 
members of the Legion and 850,000 auxiliary memberships were em- 
phatically upholding the underlying principle of the national 
origins clause, and as to that aspect most of the objections I received 
or telegrams which I received from Legion posts repudiate and deny 
that fact. 
It is a fact, I believe, that at the Saratoga convention there was 
some action taken along that line, but it was a convention wherein 
there was no referendum to any members. By the way, I want to 
apologize for misdirecting a letter which I intended to reach the 
chairman of this committee but which went to the chairman of the 
House committee. 
The Cmarrmaxn. Such is fame. [Laughter] 
Representative McCormack. Probably it was a lack of experience 
on my part. 
The Crairman. Not at all. 
Representative McCormack. Personally, the statements made by 
the representative of the Legion certainly do not voice my senti- 
ments, because of the arguments which you gentlemen know so well