J.D.B. News Letter

The Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York and the New York Board of Trade, in communications made to the Senate through Senator Robinson of Arkansas, endorsed the National Origins provision of the Immigration Act, and indicated their opposition to its suspension or repeal.

Great interest was evoked by this stand for several reasons, including the fact that New York contains the largest immigrant population in the United States, and that the communication was made through a Senator from a different state. Both Senators Copeland and Wagner of New York are opposed to the National Origins provision, and are working with those who seek to obtain suspension or repeal of the measure. The United States Chember of Commerce, of which the New York Chamber is a constituent, recently, at its annual convention, went on record in opposition to the National Origins provision.

At the same time the foregoing messages were communicated to the Senate, Senator Reed, of Pennsylvania, father of the National Origius legislation, brought to the attention of the Senate a letter he had received from the American Legion reiterating its advocacy of the National Origins clause.

“The American Legion from its very beginning has favored restrictive immigration.” the letter declared, continuing: “This question has come before our national conventions ever since our first meeting in 1919. While the Legion was continuing this stand, the Congress passed the act of 1924, which based restrictive quotas upon the national origins, to go into effect in 1927, temporarily basing quotas upon the foreign-born population in this country according to the 1890 census. The American Legion immediately indorsed the act of 1924, and in 1928 specifically indorsed the national-origins provision as a basis for selecting our immigration without one dissenting vote from the 1,000 delegates at the San Antonio convention.

“Any method of selecting immigrants based upon the foreign born-whether upon the censuses of 1890, 1900, 1910, or 1920, inevitably discriminates against some foreign nations in favor of other foreign nations.

“The American Legion contends that this is not a matter for foreign nations-it is an American question which should be settled by Americans on American terms. The question should be settled once and for all, and now is the time to settle it. The question which therefore confronts you is this Shall the foreign born in this country, contending through blocs of their own, determine our immigration policy, or (Continued on Page 4)

“On February 13, after full and complete hearings, the Senate Immigration Committee voted against reporting the resolution to postpone further the effective date of the national-origins provision of the law. On March 22 the President in accordance with law, proclaimed the effective date as July 1, 1929.

“With the convening of the special session resolutions have again been in-roduced to repeal this part of the law. Again the Senate Immigration Committee, after consideration, voted against a favorable report.

“Now Senate Resolution 37 is before the Senate. This proposes to Jischarge the Senate Immigration Committee of the legislation and bring he question of repeal to the floor of the Senate.

“The American Legion believes Senate Resolution 37 should be defeated. We therefore respectfully request your vote against this resolution.”

Senator King of Utah, who is one of those leading the fight against the National Origins plan, announced, apropos of the foregoing communications, that he has received a large number of letters, from various organizations and individuals, protesting against the National Origins clause.

GOODWILL MEETING AT WASHINGTON TEMPLE

An inter-religious meeting for the promotion of goodwill, cooperation, and better understanding will be held at the local Reform temple, the Washington Hebrew Congregation, next Monday night, at which Rabbi Abram Simon, of that congregation will preside. Rabbi Simon is chairman of the Washington branch of the goodwill movement under the auspices of which the meeting is being arranged, this organization being composed of the Fellowship of Faiths, the Union of East and West, and the League of Neighbors.

The local meeting is being arranged in connection with the Peace Week activities, from May 12 to 18 ending with International Good Will Day.

The speakers at the coming meeting will include Swami Yogananda of New York, author and religious teacher, who will speak on “Buddha and Hindu Teachers”; Arthur H. Hummell of the Chinese Department of the Library of Congress, whose subject will be “Confucius”; Rabbi Edward L. Israel of the Har Sinai Congregation, Baltimore, on ” Jesus”; Dean B. Butler Pratt of the Howard University School of Religion, on “Moses”; Dr. Stanwood Cobb of the Bah’i Movement on “Muhammad;” Kedar Nath Das Gupta, executive of the Three-fold Movement, New York, on the work of the organization in seeking to promote amity between world faiths, and Rev. Jason Noble Pierce of the First Congregational Church, on the subject of “Religious Unity.” Dr. Bhagat Singh Thind Sikh, teacher of India, will also speak.