Evening star., 1939-04-23

10000 German refugee children,
being conducted by joint con-
0ressionaI committee, haze shown
majority OF witnesses in tauor
OF measure.
~ the Associated Press.
Former President Hoover joined q
long list of notables yesterday In
urging Congress to admit 10000 ref
ugee children from Germany to
homes in this country.
A joint congressional committee
considering the legislation heard
by telegram from the only living
former President that he strongly
1avors' the proposal.
mo harm and only good can come
to Nation by such humane action,
Mr.. Hoover said in the message read
by Clarence E. Pickett of Philadel-
phia, one OF the sponsors of the
legislation.
Shortly afterward, spokesmen for
patriotic organizations opened an
attack on the refugee bill as a vio-
latlon OF immigration standards and
as threatening to add to unemploy-
ment and relief problems.
Their testimony clashed directly
with that of Dorothy Thompson
writer and lecturer; Rabbi Stephen
Wise Of New York City, and Dean
Dudley D. Carroll of the University
OF North Carolina.
Urges Infusion Of New Blood"
Dean Carroll said that "as a
Southerner, I feel the South has
suffered because it has not been In
the tide of immigration"
He said fine immigrants from
Europe" had avoided the South be-
cause of industrial and racial prob
lens and this had caused stag
nation"
AN infusion of new blood would
be one of the greatest blessings for
the South he added.
Miss Thompson. modishly dressed
and speaking earnestly. said the
refugee bill was the first intelli-
gently planned immigration measure
in American history"
Called Finest Stock"
A former resident of Germany
and Austria. she knew, she said,
that the children would come from
the finest stock Because they
would be IA years or younger. she
said they would easily fit into citi-
zenship and customs of this country.
Aside from humanitarian motives.
Miss Thompson said hard boiled
realism pointed to wisdom of the
proposal because of the declining
birth rate in this country and in
creasing number of aged persons
demanding public help and pen
sions.
Some one will have to pay for it,"
she said. This country needs ener-
getic young people"
DR.. Stokes Testifies.
DR.. Anson Phelps Stokes, canon
OF the Washington Cathedral. told
the committee that $4,000 children
In Germany have largely been ex-
cluded from ordinary schools.
He said that more than 5000
offers to provide homes for German
children in this country have been
received.
Il most earnestly hope that the
United States will do its share" DR..
Stokes asserted. especially when
realize the extent of the refugee
problem abroad and what Holland,
France, England and other coun-
tries are doing.
MY own church-the Episcopal
is so much interested in this refugee
problem that it has appointed a
special committee to advance it's
interests"
Legion Opposes Plan.
John Thomas Taylor. speaking for
the American Legion in opposition
to the bill, said the veterans group
favored stopping all immigration
for a l0-year period.
He said that under existing laws,
it would be possible for refugee chill
dren to bring their families to this
country after they had grown older
and had established themselves here.
Mr.. Taylor said if the present
legislation lis to be considered Sc
riously" then Congress might we'll
consider letting in 10000 Chinese
children"
Francis H. Kinnicutt, New York
City, said the Allied Patriotic So
cieties, composed of 80 groups. op-
posed the measure because it adds
to our total immigration at the
present time when we have at least
10,500,000 of our own people out of
employment"
He said Congress in recent years
had refused to admit Armenian and
Greek refugees. In the last few
years. he said, the United States had
admitted "over 10000 Jewish refu-
gees" and that most of the 10000
children would be of the same race.
Fears Communist Influence.
Mrs. Agnes Waters of Washington,
who said she appeared for widows
of World War veterans, testified
that many of the homes offered to
refugee children were those of
Communists I'M this country"
I'VE have 100000 persons here
now who are boring from Within"
she said. "Of course the Commu-
mist house would welcome a child"
A similar complaint came from
Mrs. Charles Fuller Winter of De-
troit, who said she spoke for Young
Americans, Inc.
Earlier witnesses, who advocated
the bill, said there were more than
enough homes available to German
child refugees.
Paul T. Beisser of Baltimore, pres
ident of the Child Welfare League
Of America, said there now was an
average of IL applicants for every
child adopted in the United States.
Binqo Party Friduy