Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-07-29

by WestOrook
PeeIer
DRESIDENT ROOS EvELT
i recently announced to Con-
gress as an accomplished fact.
his decision that "approxi-
mately" 1000 continental Euro
pean refugees who have reached
southern Italy. "predomlnantly"
women and children, would be
brought here 10 a vacant army
camp in the East. They would
be returned to their homelands
upon the termination Of the
war"
AnX objections will be met in
stantly with a tragic story OF
the persecution OF innocent chill
dren.
Thus, il would seem as though
only children and their inoffen-
slve and helpless mothers would
he admitted, although MIR.
Roosevelt's qualifying word
''predominantly" would leave
room for a number of men, as
well.
IN NOVEMBER, 1912, MIR.
l. Roosevelt proposed that our
immigration laws be suspended
entirely for the duration of the
war. This request was denied.
Francis Biddle. the attorney
general, urged the ways and
means committee of the House
of Representatives 10 agree on
the ground that otherwise We
would have 10 pay ourselves A
head tax of IS on every prisoner
of war brought here for de-
tention.
II was even suggested that
military and diplomatic dlgni-
taries of our Allies would be
subjected TO unnecessary and
embarrassing formal ties in
clearing our immigration sta
tons.
II can assure you" Mr.. Bid
die told the committee, that
the President had no intention
of exercising the powers 80 ms
Ia remove immigration barriers
for any purpose not connected
with the war effort"
There is no record Of the eX-
cluSlon Of any prisoner of war
for lack of the IS head tax and
ACTUALLY collected.
as seems improbable, II repre-
SentS no more than An entry IN
the books, credting the depart
ment Of justice. which now has
charge Of immigration, with so
many thousand times SIS and
charging II 10 overhead
Neither has there been any
report of the detention at Ellis
Island Of any accredited agent
OF any Of our Allies arrived 10
discuss lend-leaSe or any other
subject
So Mr.. BiddleS concern on
these two points seems 10 have
been entirely unnecessary.
4 THOUGH The committee
"A did reject The Presidents
proposal his recent announce
ment regarding the 1000 refu-
gees. delivered IN the form Of A
message cited no legal author
lty for has action.
Instead after A long and
sentimental preamble. Mr..
Roosevelt Just said that.
II determined that this gov
eminent should intensity its ef-
forts Ia combat the Nazi terror"
and that. accordingly estab-
lished the war refugee board.
composed Of the secretaries of
state. treasury and war" 10
translate "this governments
humanitarian policy into prompt
action.
Therefore" he continued II
wish 10 report 10 YOU today
step which ] have just taken"
And so forth announcing
the importation OF the 1000
refugees
There was no intlma'lon that
1000 would be all With equal
authority wherever derived.
Mr. Roosevelt may admit 500.
600 who need notebe "predomI-
nantly' women and children
and who If 'prcdominantly"
women, might be Communists
or FasciStS.
For II seems 20 be forgotten.
although ~ remains a fact that
many Of those IN Europe who
later were prosecuted for Va
rlouS reasons found FaSciSm
and IiitlerlSm very agreeable at
the beginning.
MuSSolnl and Hitler were
fine as long as they didn't per-
Secute them. And II should he
remembered that the Commu-
nlStS OF Germany. who now are
included among the pltiable VIC
TINS of Hitler's barbarity had
been fairly barbarouS them
selves and so greatly admired
Hitler that all six million of
them. under instructions from
Moscow, voted for Hitler in his
final rise 10 power. They put
him over because they believed
in totaIItarian government.