Senate Committee Rejects Bills to Repeal or Postpone National Origins Clause

The Senate Immigration Committee by a vote of four to two today again rejected the bills of Senator Walsh of Massachusetts and Senator Nye of North Dakota to repeal and postpone respectively the National Origins clause. In taking this action the committee reiterated its allegiance to the National Origins clause registered at the last session. Today’s decision of the committee took the technical form of a vote to indefinitely postpone action on both bills which, from the practical standpoint has the same effect as an outright rejection. Senator Walsh and Senator Nye were not surprised at the committee’s action for its support of the National Origins plan and hostility against any effort to interfere with its going into effect was well known, but the procedure of prior action by the committee was a necessary parliamentary requirement before action could be taken by the Senate itself. Senator Nye, following the committee’s action, today announced that he and Senator King of Utah, Democrat, will ask this afternoon that the committee be discharged from consideration of the bill in order that the Senate itself may consider and take action thereon. Senator Nye indicated he expects Senator Reed of Pennsylvania, leader of pro-National Origins forces to precipitate a filibuster against this request. It appears therefore that the anticipated fight to a finish on this great controversial issue is about to begin in real earnest with the Senate floor as the first battleground. Lined up against Senator Reed and his followers is President Hoover himself who has indicated in no uncertain terms his uncompromising opposition to National Origins legislation. The Senate’s decision on the plan may prove the first test of President Hoover’s authority in Congress. Senator Nye, in addition to the bill for postponement, which was voted on today by committee, also had introduced yesterday a bill to repeal the clause differing somewhat in its terms from that of Senator Walsh. Senator Nye’s bill is practically a duplicate of a measure introduced some time ago by Senator Shipstead providing for a new quota ###lan differing from both the National (Continued on Page 4)