NATIONAL ORIGINS PROVISION OF IMMIGRATION LAW 75
STATEMENT OF COL. JOHN THOMAS TAYLOR, REPRESENTING THE
AMERICAN LEGION, WASHINGTON. D. C.
Colonel Tayror. I would like to read this telegram to begin with
"reading :
Will you please convey to Senator Johuson and the Senate committee out of
appreciation for the consideration shown us in granting public hearing. In
your presentation of the Tegion’s stand on this legislation, please eount us
amongst your constituents and assure said committee that we heartily sup-
port your cause.
WALTER I. LELAND,
Commander George Bdwin Kirk Post, American Legion.
That is the expressed feeling of the entire American Legion on
this, what we consider a most important subject. Now, you might
say in reply to this, just why is it that the Legion is so interested in
the general Immigration question and partienlarly in this national-
origins provision? It is the question that has heen considered by
every single national convention of the American Legion since our
first one in Minneapolis in 1919. The only one that T wish to put
into the record is that one of 1928, as follows [reading]:
Whereas it seems the proper function of the American Legion to voice its
attitude toward ngnpartisan questions of public concern, to the end that life
and government in the United States may be improved: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the American Legion in convention assembled, That we favor and
recommend continuunce of the method of restriction on immigration in the
1924 immigration law with its fundamental national-origins provision, so that
American citizenship and economic prosperity may be maintained at the highest
possible level.
1 have prepared a brief statement on the subject, so that I can come
right to the point and not take up too much time of this committee.
Following the World War, members of the American Legion had it
brought home to themselves forcibly that the so-called melting pot
had not melted sufficiently to form a harmonious nation. In order
to give the melting pot a chance to fuse the varied strains of racial
origins within our shores the Legion then advocated total restric-
tion of immigration for a period of years. The Legion continued
this attitude until the passage of the immigration act of 1924. Since
the passage of this act, the Legion has indorsed it and upheld its
provisions, for the following reasons:
(1) The Legion believes firmly in restrictive immigration. We
believe that this is our country, and that we are entitled to be the
judge of whether we shall allow people to come here from foreign
countries to make their home with us, or to say to them, “ We now
have sufficient persons of other races within our shores.”
(2) As we favor restrictive immigration, the question of how the
immigrants should be chosen is of paramount importance. The
selection of immigrants upon the basis of the foreign-born population
resident in America at any selected date is manifestly unjust, and
opens such a basis to the charge of ‘discrimination. This discrimi-
nation must inevitably exist, regardless of the census upon which it
may be based.
(3) The theory of the national origins of the entire population
of the United States is therefore the fairest basis upon which immi-
gration quotas may be based. It comprehends our entire popula-
tion, just as the selective service act of 1927 included the entire young
manhood of the Nation, regardless of race or creed.
