To the Conrnissi"oner of Labor: I desire as full an investigation of the whole
subject of immigration as the facilities at hand will permit. I wish that you would at once take the matter up with the Commissioner General of Immigra- tion; that your two Bureaus co-operate along the lines I suggested at our recent conference; and that you submit your reports to me as soon as is practicable. I want the investigation to be as thorough and as comprehensive as you can make it, and I direct the closest co-operation between the twvo Bureaus to this end. The Bureau of Immigration will, of course, have to carry on the necessary investigations abroad alone through its special agents, but in the study of conditions in this country the twvo Bureaus ought to be able to co- operate very closely and assist each other very materially. However, I want you and Mr. Sargent to plan the whole investigation conjointly and to con- sult together constantly during its progress concerning all of its phases. In a word, I want you to carry on a joint investigation of the whole subject of immigration, to such extent as the resources of each Bureau will permit, and to use such resources as your judgment may dictate. Carefully avoid all unnecessary publicity in the carrying on of the investigation. Please consider it a confidential investigation for my use, and transmit your reports to me as soon as they are ready.'
1These private, confidential reports to Roosevelt were never published. It is probable,
however, that they contained the same recommendations which, already made in the annual reports of the Bureau of lImigration in I9oj and 1906, and repeated in 1907, formed the basis for the immigration section of Roosevelt's annual message in1 1906. See No. 3924.