Mr. QUINN. Those are questions that come in after the war. Mr. McREYNOLDS. You are advocating in your resolutions only the families of ex-service men? Mr. QUINN. Yes, sir. Mr. DICKSTEIN. Your organization, which I have high regard for because I have been more or less through this whole situation since the starting of the war, does not want to be understood by the country as opposed to any bill that will permit certain classes in for five years. You do not want to be understood that way. In other words, if we can work out a plan whereby we can get our immigrants in on a proper investigation based upon a proper census, the Legion has no objection. you. Mr. QUINN. Gentlemen, our resolution is this. You are here for a purpose. The Congress is elected by the people of the United States for a definite purpose. You are a committee of that Congress., We have confidence in your judgment if you have the facts before We merely offer these recommendations. In this convention were represented Japanese, Negroes, Italians, Poles, Irish, every race and every color and every creed. They were every one there. If there was a member of that convention or committee that thought for a moment that his race or creed was being discriminated against by the resolution, be sure that he would raise up on that. Mr. DICKSTEIN. To be fair about the matter, do you not know that that kind of people do not have the opportunity to be elected as one of the representatives of the particular post, and most of them were men Americanized and the men, more or less, who have been born in this country. Mr. QUINN. That is not quite so because we happened to have as a delegate from my post an Italian barber named Al Santenor. There is no question as to his nationality and he was a duly elected delegate to our departmental convention and we adopted this resolution. They were present at the national convention, so that you must remember that the membership in many posts is made up of men who work in the ditch and those posts are entitled to representation in the convention the same as every other post. Mr. DICKSTEIN. We are entitled to representation here, Members of Congress. Sometimes we get it and sometimes we do not. It depends on how the situation stands and how the wind blows. That is all well and good. I have seen members of lodges of all kinds, secret or otherwise, some of them hold whips over you and yet you are entitled to vote and be represented. That is about all you are entitled to whether you get it or not. The CHAIRMAN. The majority rules. Mr. DICKSTEIN. I am with the majority. What I am trying to make clear in my mind and the mind of the public is regarding the stand the Legion has taken. Apparently it desires having the doors closed for five years, or is it the fact that you suggest the five-year period because we have not before us a proper basic way of calculation that would probably prove good and would be a basis for this country on the immigration proposition. Mr. QUINN. Our resolutions are merely advisory. We do not pretend to tell you. Mr. DICKSTEIN. You will not be sorry if it is fixed on 1910 or 1920, if it is based upon proper and careful investigation. Mr. QUINN. I think perhaps you could fight that out with your own members. The CHAIRMAN. In your personal capacity, Mr. Quinn, of California, the son of an immigrant, are you of the belief that the time has come for the United States to restrict immigration to the United States? Mr. QUINN. Without reservation. The CHAIRMAN. Nobody has charged you with being a traitor to the Irish people because you hold that view? Mr. QUINN. I think not yet, I want again to express my sincere appreciation of the privilege of being here. The CHAIRMAN. We are indebted to you for your statement. Mr. LINEBERGER. Mr. Powell, chairman of the Americanization Committee of the American Legion is here. He has detailed information on all questions discussed before the committee and is at your disposal. STATEMENT OF MR. GARLAND POWELL, AMERICANIZATION COMMITTEE, AMERICAN LEGION. Mr. POWELL. I might clarify a few points, Mr. Chairman, by saying that the Americanism commission is made up of 15 men selected throughout the country. Serving on that commission are Dwight Davis, the Assistant Secretary of War, Blaney of Texas, and also college professors, as well as men through all walks of life. They have thoroughly investigated this question of immigration and naturalization. We have gone into it from every point of view. This commission meets but once a year and is divided into subcommittees to investigate different phases of this question and then they report back to one general committee of 52 who in turn report their findings to the legion convention. That is how we conduct our business on special questions. It has been brought out here in one resolution where we asked for the total exclusion of all immigration for a fixed period of years with the exception of wives and immediate relative of service men or men who served honorably during the World War in the armies and navies of the United States at that time. Mr. HOLADAY. I do not understand how any considerable number of service men could have wives in the old country. Were they married while over there in the service? Mr. POWELL. Quite a number of them, yes, sir; but they have their sisters and mothers and fathers there in a great number of instances. Investigation has shown us that. Mr. SABATH. In addition thereto, there are a great many young men who have been in this country one, two, three, four or five years who were unable to be naturalized before the war, who entered the war and served in the war before they were citizens. Secondly, there are about 278,000 of them who were naturalized in the camps. Many of those men were here and their wives were over there. They did not have a chance to bring their wives here on account of the fact that the war broke out which precluded their bringing them in and some of their wives are still over there. Mr. POWELL. That is true. Mr. Box. Have they not come over by this time, the war being over six years? Mr. POWELL. They lack funds in a great many instances and in other ways, quotas being filled would not allow them to. Mr. Box. They are now citizens. The resolutions refer to citizens. Mr. POWELL. Yes. Mr. Box. Do you have any figures on how many of that class remaining have their wives over there? Mr. POWELL. No, sir. We started to investigate, but it is not complete. Mr. Box. A provision in the bill to allow wives and parents of citizens to come would provide for that, would it not? Mr. POWELL. Yes. Mr. DICKSTEIN. Have we not in our present immigration law a provision giving preference to ex-service men, and their wives and fathers and mothers of them at the present time? Is it not a fact that most of them are practically in this country to-day, that there are not so many as you say, wives of ex-service men abroad? Mr. HOLADAY. I have not any figures, but I think most of them would be here. Mr. DICKSTEIN. I am inclined to agree with you. Mr. POWELL. As far as I know, personally, I know there are a great number that are not in this country. The CHAIRMAN. Since the armistice? Mr. POWELL. Wives and sisters and mothers. The CHAIRMAN. These people whose wives you want to bring are American citizens? Mr. POWELL. They are citizens or entitled to citizenship under our laws and under the preference law. The CHAIRMAN. Let us see what the proposition is. These men, if they served in the forces of the United States, have the opportunity to become citizens by a short process. Mr. POWELL. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Quite a large number slept on that right and did not complete the steps necessary to make them citizens? Mr. POWELL. Eighteen thousand of them. The CHAIRMAN. You want them to still have the right to become citizens? Mr. POWELL. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. An additional number apparently had their wives and have been all these years without getting their wives to the United States. Do you want that to go on indefinitely? Mr. POWELL. Not indefinitely; no, sir. We ask frankly to extend this law one year so that the Legion can put on a national campaign to inform these boys, many of whom do not know their rights under that law. Mr. SABATH. Many of them are in hospitals. Mr. POWELL. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. If the Legion has investigated that phase of it and will present the words of a short resolution, which could be introduced by itself, extending that time for a year, it would answer your purpose? Mr. POWELL. Yes, sir. Mr. RAKER. You have not any information at all as to the number who served in the war from America that were honorably discharged who are now in foreign countries? Mr. POWELL. No, sir; we have not. It is almost impossible. Mr. POWELL. Yes, sir. Mr. RAKER. Is it not a fact that every effort was made in the camps abroad as well as here to naturalize those men at once? Mr. POWELL. Yes. Mr. RAKER. And the operation of the same law has been in effect relative to their naturalization now. Mr. POWELL. Up until March 3. Mr. RAKER. It is in effect now? Mr. POWELL. Yes. Mr. RAKER. Had it not been brought to your attention by the naturalization officers of their desire to have that law repealed because of fraud and impositions perpetrated upon the Government now? Mr. POWELL. No, sir; not to me personally or to my commission. Mr. RAKER. To others? Mr. POWELL. I can not answer otherwise because I do not know. Mr. RAKER. You do not know whether that is the fact or not? Mr. POWELL. I do know that in some instances in California there were fraudulent cases. Mr. DICKSTEIN. That was California? Mr. POWELL. Yes. Mr. RAKER. There are frauds in California the same as in New York. Mr. DICKSTEIN. You did not find anything in New York. Mr. POWELL. I am stating that case because I know of it. There may be others which I do not know about. Mr. RAKER. What reason is there now for extending this law beyond the time it has been extended and to require these men who have slept on their rights six years or more to go into the court in the usual way that they have the right to do so that the Government would have an opportunity to determine whether or not they should be naturalized? Mr. POWELL. I will answer that question this way. For instance, when you induct those men into the service many of them can not speak the English language. If they can not speak the English language they did not know their rights under the law. A great many of them are learning English and learning to read and write and speak English now at night schools that the Legion is conducting throughout the country. We are trying to teach them their rights under the the Constitution. You can not expect a man who does not know that he has the right to go into this naturalization. Mr. RAKER. Where did you get the idea that they do not know their rights? It has been stated many times. These people could read and write in their own language and some of them speak from one to five languages. Where do you get the idea that they do not know their rights? Mr. POWELL. From them themselves. Mr. SABATH. Interviewing and talking to them. Mr. HOLADAY. You are located in Washington? Mr. POWELL. Indianapolis, at the American Legion office in Indian apolis. Mr. SABATH. What is your local address? Mr. POWELL. The Racquet Club, Washington, D. C. Mr. McREYNOLDS. As to the resolution which has been read here by the American Legion advocating suspension, how about will this section in reference to soldiers, aliens who served in the military or naval forces of the United States at any time between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, inclusive, receiving honorable discharge, and the wife or unmarried child under 18 years of said alien? This bill advocates suspension for five years and that is one of the exceptions with regard to the military forces of the United States engaged in this last war? Mr. POWELL. Yes, sir. Mr. McREYNOLDS. Does that practically cover your resolution? Mr. POWELL. Yes, sir. Mr. SABATH. The resolution speaks for itself. Mr. McREYNOLDS. He is speaking for me right now. Mr. RAKER. What is your view? Are you in favor or not of extending the law and permitting the aliens who served in the American forces at any place of now being naturalized under a special proceeding entirely because of their service in the war, whether or not they are now qualified to be American citizens? Mr. POWELL. I think they are qualified to be American citizens. Mr. RAKER. That does not answer my question. Mr. POWELL. You asked me what my opinion is. Mr. RAKER. Irrespective of what the man has done since? Mr. POWELL. Not if he is a criminal. Mr. RAKER. That is what I am putting up to you. Mr. POWELL. No. Mr. RAKER. Then you are in favor of having some further hearing before the court at this time of a man who served in the war to determine whether or not he has maintained his honorable status up to the present time and to determine whether he should be admitted to citizenship. Mr. POWELL. I am in favor, if he has not committed any crime; but if he has committed a crime then I would be absolutely opposed to his being naturalized. There is just one more point I wish to explain. Commander Quinn read a resolution here that standards for admission of aliens entering this country should be materially raised in mental, moral, and physical qualifications. Now, gentlemen, the reason we took that action at the convention I will explain briefly. We investigated the class of immigrants that we are getting. They are not what we thought they should be. Here is a letter from the New York Board of Trade and Transportation, under date of November 6, 1922, which started us out on this investigation. It is addressed to myself. It reads as follows: We are heartily in accord with the general proposition for the advancement of education and the elimination of illiteracy, so far as practicable. We notice, however, the slogan in the first page of your leaflet which reads as follows: "No illiteracy by 1927." It is not quite clear what this slogan means. If it means that no illiterates are to be admitted into the United States as immigrants, it raises a serious question and the board would not approve such stoppage. The labor class is one we do not raise in the United States; it must be imported. If we exclude all illiterates we would be without labor. That is from the New York Board of Trade and Transportation. It speaks for itself. Certainly there is a concentrated effort upon |