Commissioner Holds Aliens Would Not Replace U. S. Workers Under System.
No American citizens would be thrown out of work by aliens under a plan for extension of the principle of selective immigration outlined in a radio address last night by Harry Hull, commissioner general of immigration.
“My appeal to you, my countrymen,” Hull added, “is that we follow this far seeing vision of our President, so that in the future immigrants shall not enter the country who are unneeded or undesirable.”
Hull said 241,700 Immigrants entered the United States last year and that it was a reasonable estimate that more than 50 per cent of them “are today displacing American citizens who are gainfully employed.”
“Scientific selective immigration is a far-reaching, progressive move to solve our unemployment and farm problem,” he asserted.
“If we had had selective immigration 50 years ago,” he added, “there would have been no underworld problem of the magnitude nor character that our peace officers now have on their hands. And while the criminal is primarily a social menace and should be dealt with first as such, he also presents an economic problem of great importance.”
His address followed the announcement last week by President Hoover, that applications for future immigration visas would be rejected if the applicants were likely to become public charges upon reaching this country and add to the unemployment total.
He quoted Mr. Hoover as saying in his last message to Congress that “our present problem is to formulate a method in which a limited number of immigrants whom we do welcome shall be adapted to our national settings and our national needs.”
Evening Star, Washington, DC, September 16, 1930