Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-29
Report Reveals Steps
To Simplify Procedure
On Visa Applications
Process Is Unnecessarily
Complicated, Boord Of
Appeals Declares

Steps to simplify and speed up
the present complicated process of
passing on applications Of aliens for
admittance to the United States
were forecast last night in a report
to President Roosevelt by the Board
of Appeals on Visa Cases.
1--WE have found the whole proc
ess of dealing with visa applications
to be unnecessarily complicated,
said the board in reporting that it
had passed on 6.152 visa applica-
tions from December 3, when it was
set up, through October 81.
1--WE believe the individual steps
in the long process too often reflect
traditions or precedents carrying
over from state of affairs very
different from that of today" the
report added land too seldom in
dicate realistic facing of present
conditions.
I'VE are glad therefore to learn
that steps are now being taken to
restudy the whole procedure in the
interests Of simplicity, efficiency and
rapidity of decision"
Go First to Primary Committees.
The board pointed out that visa
applications first 60 to primary
committees" made up of represent
atives of the State Department,
military intelligence, naval intelli-
gence, Federal Bureau of Investiga-
ton and immigration service, which
grant them when there is no objec-
ton ''or question on the ground OF
public safety"
Those rejected by the primary
committees are considered again by
review committees, with those cases
turned down by them getting final
review by the Board of Appeals be-
fore recommendation for action go
to the Secretary of State.
Since this procedure was adopted,
the boards report said, visas have
been approved in 1881 cases on rec
concentration of Primary Commit
tees. 1872 on findings of the Review
Committees and 1888 on action by
the board in reversing Review Com
mlttee decisions. Many of these
cases involved more than one person
in family.
Benefit Question Secondary.
The fundamental question in
volved in passing on visa applica-
ton. the report explained, is
whether the person seeking to en-
ter the United States may be ad-
mitted with safety" to this country
The question of benefit is secondary
the board said, adding that it has
found benefit in maintaining the
traditional American policy of pro-
viding a haven of refuge for decent
people who are in distress and
peril"
Elements of comedy" as well as
OF human tragedy" abound in the
records of people seeking visas, the
board reported, citing these exam
pies:
The Italian wife of native
Californian who thought she had
acquired American citizenship upon
marriage. but who found when she
went to the races at Tiajuana that
1t required the whole complicated
machinery of the visa procedure
to get her back to her home, which
Is only a few miles from the border"
I'm case after case, after a hus-
band and wife interned in France
had applied for visas, one or the
other died from privation and hard
ship before the papers could reach
the board"
Racial Refugees Predominant.
Most of those seeking admission
to this country were said to be racial
refugees, with a significant portion
classified as political refugees. Many
OF those admitted, the report pointed
out, have useful skills and i'm
portant technical knowledge" and
become "of dictinct value in our
national life"
Many others are humble people,
who have suffered grievously under
Nazi tyranny the report said.
The soard is composed of Robert
J. Buckley, former Senator from
Ohio; Frederick P. Keppel, former
president of the Carnegie Corp, and,
as an alternate member, Dean F..
D. G. Ribble of the University of
Virginia law school.