Negotiations are progressing among the interested parties in relation to the final distribution of the assets in the hands of the Alien Property Custodian.  Our Government and people are interested as creditors; the German Government and people are interested as debtors and owners of the seized property.  Pending the outcome of these negotiations, I do not recommend any affirmative legislation.  For the present we should continue in possession of this property which we hold as security for the settlement of claims due to our people and our Government.

IMMIGRATION

While not enough time has elapsed to afford a conclusive demonstration, such results as have been secured indicate that our immigration law is on the whole beneficial.  It is undoubtedly a protection to the wage earners of this country.  The situation should however, be carefully surveyed, in order to ascertain whether it is working a needless hardship upon our own inhabitants.  If it deprives them of the comfort and society of those bound to them by close family ties, such modifications should be adopted as will afford relief, always in accordance with the principle that our Government owes its first duty to our own people and that no alien, inhabitant of another country, has any legal rights whatever under our Constitution and laws.  It is only through treaty, or through residence here that such rights accrue.  But we should not, however, be forgetful of the obligations of a common humanity.

While our country numbers among its best citizens many of those of foreign birth, yet those who now enter in violation of our laws by that very act thereby place themselves in a class of undesirables.  Investigation reveals that any considerable number are coming here in defiance of our immigration restrictions, it will undoubtedly create the necessity for the registration of all aliens.  We ought to have no prejudice against an alien because he is an alien.  The standard which we apply to our inhabitants is that of manhood, not place of birth.  Restrictive immigration is to a large degree for economic purposes.  It is applied in order that we may not have a larger annual increment of good people within our borders than we can weave into our economic fabric in such a way as to supply their needs without undue injury to ourselves.

NATIONAL DEFENSE

Never before in time of peace has our country maintained so large and effective a military force as it now has.  The Army, Navy, Marine Corps, National Guard, and Organized Reserves represent a strength of about 558,400 men.  These forces are well trained, well equipped, and high in morale.

A sound selective service act giving broad authority for the mobilization in time of peril of all the resources of the country, both persons and materials, is needed to perfect our defense policy in accordance with our ideals of equality.  The provision for more suitable housing to be paid for out of funds derived from the sale of excess lands, pending before the last Congress, ought to be brought forward and passed.  Reasonable replacements ought to be made to maintain a sufficient ammunition reserve.