(Jewish Daily Bulletin)
“Those whom God has joined together, let not Congressional enactment rend asunder.” With these words Dr. Stephen S. Wise reached the climax of his impassioned plea to the House Immigration Committee for favorable action on the Perlman-Wadsworth, Sabbath, Dickstein and other bills pending before Congress, which would revise the present law by exempting from the quota the parents, wives, husbands, and minor children of citizens and declarants.
Roland Hahoney, at one time Acting Secretary of Labor and Member of Congress, now a prominent Washington attorney, appeared unexpectedly before the Committee as the friend of the proposed legislation. “It is not in accordance with the dignity and traditions of the United States to go on record as separating families. This violates the most fundamental principles of humanity,” he said, recalling his own experience as acting head of the Labor Department in which he had occasion to pass on many immigration cases. Replying to a remark which had been made by a restrictionist member of the Committee that the enactment of the proposed legislation might let in one million immigrants, Mahoney exclaimed: “Suppose it does involve the admission of one million people. We have got to pass this remedial legislation to make our record clear. This country, with one hundred million population, can absorb one million with case and no possible detriment to the Republic. The very people we will bring here will, out of gratitude, become the type of citizens we desire. In accordance with the great traditions of our country, we must wipe the slate clean and extend the necessary relief to these families who are separated.”
A letter from Commissioner of Immigration Curran of New York, favoring the bills was read before the House Committee.
Dr. Wise began his address by reading a letter addressed to Chairman Johnson of the Immigration Committee from the Rev. Alfred William Anthony. Chairman of the Committee on Good Will of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, in support of the Perlman Bill, in which Rev. Anthony states: “I base my conviction that the bill should be passed chiefly upon humanitarian motives. The family is the first social unit. All good citizenship and all good government rest upon the integrity of the home. If a husband or wife have been admitted to our country and have taken the steps to become citizens here, it seems to be proper and right that the bona fide member of the family should be included. If the gate against entrance is to be closed in the face of any members of a family, it should be closed when the first head of the family asks for admission. If a head of the family has been admitted then it seems clear that the rest of the members should be admitted and the family life be kept intact. It is an injustice to two countries to have two fragments of a domestic unitbroken and one fragment, detached and alone, kept in either country. The United States need have no fear of an increase of citizens who come as family units.”
Dr. Wise emphasized that he did not appear before the Committee as a Jew, but as an American interested in the application of American principles of justice and humanity.
Dr. Wise explained that he was not proposing a change in the fundamental policy of restriction upon which Congress is now apparently definitely committed. “You have adopted a certain basic policy. We are not asking you to change the policy, but we do ask that you eliminate insofar as possible its defects and inequities,” he stated. A change in sentiment toward aliens is apparent, Dr. Wise said, citing President Coolidge’s plea for tolerance at Omaha, which he described as one of the greatest utterances of any president, and that the day the president delivered this speech was a memorable day in American history. “I believe a new and better day, has come-a new spirit is replacing the bitter anti-alien feeling that ushered in the present too drastic immigration law.” Dr. Wise declared. He emphasized the President’s approval of alleviation of the separation of families in his recent message to Congress, and that Secretary Davis has shown an understanding of the necessity thereof.
Dr. Wise stated that although he could not speak as a representative of labor, he expressed confidence that labor sympathized with the proposed legislation, referring to the absence of any opposition on the part of organized labor. “You will find organized labor will not oppose this purely humanitarian measure,” he said.
Chairman Johnson interrupted Dr. Wise to make unfavorable remarks. He seemed particularly displeased with Dr. Wise’s dramatic declaration, “Those whom God has joined together let no Congressional enactment rend asunder.”
“You are charging Congress with being a divorce court,” Johnson exclaimed. He also expressed the fear that if the remedial legislation now asked for is granted, more changes tending to weaken the immigration law will be asked later. “You are advance agents and more is going to be requested later,” he said. When Dr. Wise objected to this remark. Johnson replied it was just as fair for him to use this term as for Dr. Wise to accuse Congress of being a divorce court. Chairman Johnson also made the charge that the Alliance Israelite Universelle was organized to promote and stimulate immigration to America, stating that he had obtained records showing that some early founders of the organization had objected to this policy.
Dr. Wise denied this charge, explaining that the Alliance merely helped Jews who were already immigrants on their way.
Chairman Johnson and another member of the Committee asked why immigration restrictions had been established in Palestine, now considered the Jewish Homeland.
Dr. Wise replied that the economic conditions of the country made it impossible to admit more than the present number of four thousand a month. Nevertheless, considering that Palestine is a small country and has only a population of seven hundred thousand, the admissions each year constitute about seven per cent of the entire population. “You can hardly call this restrictive,” Dr. Wise said.
A friendly attitude was not on the surface at the hearing.
An unexpected incident arose when Chairman Johnson proposed, just before Dr. Wise took the floor, to introduce into the record the stenographic report of the recent pro-immigration mass meeting at Madison Square Garden, where Dr. Wise, Congressman LaGuardia, Congressman Celler and others spoke. His motive, it is believed, was to take advantage of some remarks of the speakers at the mass meeting which might be unfavorably interpreted. Congressman Sabath objected and the question was reserved for later decision.
The Hon. Carl Sherman, former New York State Attorney, was the first speaker who appeared before the Committee. He emphasized the reasonableness of the request which was being made Adolf Stern, Grand Master of the Independent Order B’rith Abraham, and Bernard G. Richards, Executive Secretary of the American Jewish Congress, were the other members of the delegation.
An executive session of the Committee will be held next week to take up consideration of bills, Chairman Johnson announced.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
