1117. 6 Biological Aspects of Immigration. Mr. Laughlin. If that could be done without involving us in international complications; yes, sir. The Chairman. You would have an immigration attaché at our consular offices in foreign countries, who, when a man applied with a passport from his country, would have authority to refuse his passport until he had made an inquiry, and perhaps would require additional information before giving him a passport to the United States? Mr. Laughlin. And have that proved to the satisfaction of the United States. The Chairman. The Italian would have an Italian passport, and if passport regulations are required he would have to get the American vise before he could start. Investigation of him would be made by an American official, who would give him an additional paper admitting him to the United States, which would not be a part of the Italian passport. Mr. Laughlin. We would not have to get the approval of the Italian Government, any more than we do now. Mr. Raker. In other words, his idea is to have an examination or inspection, as we do for stock and plants and seeds now? Mr. Laughlin. Exactly. (The committee thereupon adjourned until 10 a.m. Saturday morning, April 17.) Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., April 17, 1920. The committee assembled at 10 o'clock a.m., Hon Albert Johnson (chairman) presiding. The Chairman. At the time of the adjournment last night, Mr. Laughlin was proceeding to go into the discussion of the question of making an inquiry into the antecedents of proposed immigrants. I think we can resume on that now. Statement of Mr. Harry H. Laughlin, Secretary of the Eugenics Research Association, Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, N.Y. Mr. Laughlin. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, the first point that I made was that in order properly to select immigrants on the basis of natural hereditary worth it was necessary to make examinations in their home territories, because when attempted examinations are made in this country we lack the information concerning the environment of the candidate, and such examinations are perfunctory and in most cases are a farce. Experience in our field studies in this country has proven that the only way in which adequate information concerning the social and hereditary worth, or the racial or family worth, of an individual can be obtained is to study him in the community in which he has resided for some time and in which he has become part of the citizenry. The second point which I will take up now, is that when the immigrant lands in this country, although we have given him the most careful examination possible, the work is only half done; that there