te emigration from Germany and Austria, and to ensure that no country would be expected to receive more immigrants than is permitted by their legislation. The promise to these nations was that the conference will not interfere in League business, nor would it interfere in efforts already being made.
             There are many reasons why Roosevelt felt the need to have this conference. News of Adolf Eichmann's continuos expulsion of Jews were related to Roosevelt by prominent refugees, who aroused sympathy in Roosevelt. Another influence was a theory told to Roosevelt that an increase in immigration would pump up the economy. Some believed Roosevelt's motivation was to alert public opinion of the growing Nazi threat. Whatever the reason, Roosevelt's invitation took everyone by surprise.
             American Jewish leaders were especially taken aback, but nevertheless, encouraged the conference and tried to promote it's success to the invites. While their response was a positive one, the restrictionists weren't as thrilled. Representative Thomas A. Jenkins criticized the President for going "on a visionary excursion into the warm fields of altruism. He forgets the cold winds of poverty and penury that are sweeping over the 'one third' of our people who are ill clothed, ill housed, ill fed." Another Representative, Sam Dickstein, proposed modifying immigration law by mortgaging future quotas, in an attempt to mobilize the threat the conference posed.
             Roosevelt's administration tried to get private organizations working together on this project, so they invited their leaders to an informal meeting at the White House. The invitation stated the purpose was "to undertake a preliminary consideration of the most effective manner in which private individuals and organizations within the United States can cooperate with this government in the work to be undertaken by the international committee ...