Immigration to the United States will be restricted to 153,714 by the National Origins plan which was declared effective as of July 1, of this year by President Hoover in the proclamation he issued yesterday. Under the previous quota system, entries totalling 164,667 were permitted.
Unless Congress at its special session acts on the opinion expressed by President Hoover in his acceptance speech and subsequently that the National Origins clause is unworkable and unfair, and votes to throw out the clause, changes will be wrought in practically all the quotas. The number of immigrants from northern and western Europe are reduced in the new quotas by more than 15,000. An increase of 4,215 is effected from southern and eastern Europe. Poland gets an increase in its quota of 542, while Russia’s quota is increased 536, Austria 628 and Italy 1,957. These countries’ quotas were sharply reduced when the basis was changed from the 1910 census to the 1880.
The outstanding change in the quotas will be an increase of 31,714 for Great Britain and northern Ireland and a reduction of 25,270 in the German quota.
The proclamation issued by President Hoover, declaring the National Origins clause effective July 1, 1929, which was accompanied by a statement from the President, reiterating his opposition to the plan, outlined the method of applying the National Origins plan as follows:
“Whereas, it is provided in the Act of Congress approved May 26, 1924, entitled “An Act to limit the immigration of aliens into the United States, and for other purposes,” as amended by the Joint Resolution of March 4, 1927, entitled ‘Joint Resolution to amend subdivisions (b) and (e) of Section 11 of the Immigration Act of 1924, as amended,’ and the Joint Resolution of March 31, 1928, entitled ‘Joint Resolution to amend subdivisions (b) and (e) of Section 11 of the Immigration Act of 1924, as amended,’ that
“The annual quota of any nationality for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1929, and for each fiscal year thereafter, shall be a number which bears the same ratio to 150,000 as the number of inhabitants in continental United States in 1920 having that national origin (ascertained as hereinafter provided in this section) bears to the number of inhabitants in continental United States in 1920, but the minimum quota of any nationality shall be 100.” Sec. 11 (b).
“For the purpose of subdivision (b) national origin shall be ascertained by determining as nearly as may be, in respect of each geographical area which under section 12 is to be treated as a separate country (except the geographical areas specified in subdivision (c) of (Continued on Page 4)
“For the purposes of subdivisions (b) and (c) the term ‘inhabitants in continental United States in 1920’ does not include (1) immigrants from the geographical areas specified in subdivision (c) of section 4 or their descendants, (2) aliens ineligible to citizenship or their descendants. (3) the descendants of slave immigrants, or (4) the descendants of American aborigines.” Sec. 11 (d).
“The determination provided for in subdivision (c) of this section shall be made by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Labor, jointly. In making such determination, such officials may call for information and expert assistance from the Bureau of the Census. Such officials shall, jointly, report to the President the quota of each nationality, determined as provided in subdivision (b), and the President shall proclaim and make known the quotas so reported. Such proclamation shall be made on or before April 1, 1929. If the proclamation is not made on or before such date, quotas proclaimed therein shall not be in effect for any fiscal year beginning before the expiration of 90 days after the date of the proclamation. After the making of a proclamation under this subdivision the quotas proclaimed therein shall continue with the same effect as if specifically stated herein, and shall be final and conclusive for every purpose except (1) in so far as it is made to appear to the satisfaction of such officials and proclaimed by the President, that an error of fact has occurred in such determination or in such proclamation or (2) in the case provided for in subdivision (c) of Section 12. If for any reason quotas proclaimed under this subdivision are not in effect for any fiscal year, quotas for such year shall be determined under subdivision (a) of this section.” Sec. 11 (e).
“And Whereas, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Labor have reported to the President that pursuant to the duty imposed and the authority conferred upon them in and by the Act approved May 26, 1924, they jointly have made the determinative required by said Act. and fixed the quota of each respective nationality in accordance therewith to be as hereinafter set forth.”
The proclamation here sets forth the annual quota of each nationality for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1929 and for each fiscal year thereafter. Included are the following, August 1,415. Czechoslovak 2,571, Germany 25,957 Latvia 236, Lithuania 386, Poland 6,524, Roumania 295, Russia 2,784.
“All quotas hereby established are available only for persons who are eligible to citizenship in the United States and admissible under the immigration laws of the United States,” the proclamation continues.
“The immigration quotas assigned to the various countries and quota-areas are not to be regarded as having any political significance whatever, or as involving recognition of new governments, or of new boundaries, or of transfers of territories, except as the United States Government has already made such recognition in a formal and official manner.”
Representative Tilson, Republican House leader, expressed the opinion that Congress would sustain the President’s opinion that the National Origins clause of the immigration law is unworkable and unfair.
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