26 NATIONAL ORIGINS PROVISION OF IMMIGRATION LAW 
Senator Reep. Do you believe in the restriction of immigration, 
Mr. Hull? 
Commissioner Hurt. Absolutely. 
Senator Reep. Do you think in the long run it is more apt to be 
a permanent, undisturbed policy if the quotas into which our immi.- 
gration is divided, are undiscriminating ? 
Commissioner Horr. I am unable to conceive a quota law enacted 
with any regard to the elements comprising our population and the 
numbers comprising those elements, respectively, that would not in 
actual practice be regarded by those adversely affected as discrimina.- 
tory. 
Senator Reep. If Congress has done its best to make it undis- 
criminatory, such a law is more likely to stand and to endure than 
one that is obviously discriminatory, is it not? 
Commissioner Hurr. Certainly, if it is fully considered by Con- 
gress. 
~ Senator Remp. At the present time the Germans have about 
one-third of the quota, have they not—51,000 out of 164,000? 
Commissioner Hur. They have 51,000 of 164,500. 
Senator Reep. And the German element in the American popula- 
tion does not constitute anything like that proportion, does it? 
Commissioner Hur. I suppose if it did the census said so; I donot 
know. 
Senator Reep. That proportion of the foreign-born in 1890; yes. 
But you do not understand that it constitutes that proportion of the 
whole population, do you? 
Commissioner Hurr. No. As I understand it, the quota law at 
present is based on the foreign population entirely. 
Senator Reep. Yes. . 
Commissioner Horr. On the theory, of course, that we are not dis- 
criminating. But it does, of course. 
Senator Reep. It does discriminate against native-born, because 
it excludes them entirely? 
Commissioner Hurt. Yes, in one way. In another way, no. 
The CrarrmanN. What native-born? 
Senator Reep. People born in America. 
The Cmamrman. You are not making an immigration law with 
reference to people who live in America. Get to your basic idea. 
Senator Reep. I think the people born in America have as much 
right to be considered as an unnaturalized alien. 
The Cramrman. Indefinitely more. But that is not the point, if 
you want to discuss that thing, That is not the thing that is involved 
here at all. ; 
Senator CopeLanp. With great tact and common sense you have 
been applying this law. If you were to have a new law, without any 
education of the public ag to its significance and its meaning and its 
justice, if it is just, would you not have more disturbances than you 
would to go along with this law under you until we have had time to 
educate the public as to what it means? 
Commissioner Hurt. Unquestionably, Senator, you would have 
some confusion and some criticism. The quota as it is administered 
at the present time is, of course, a tragic thing in the lives of hundreds 
of thousands of human beings. They are theoretically standing in