Detroit evening times., 1945-07-12
WESTBROOK
PEGLER
Fair !,
Enough 3"

"A IS now in progress TO repudi-
ate President Roosevelt's pledge
to Congress that a group of
approximately" 1000 refugees
from Continental Europe who
were brought here last summer
would be returned TO their
homelands upon the termina-
tion of the war"
These people have been
quartered at a disused military
post near Oswego, n. Y, and an
organization calling itself the
- 0swego Citizens Advisory Com
mlttee has implored President
Truman and Congress to waive
the Roosevelt promise and their
own agree ment that their
asylum here would be tenn
porary.
This probably will be the way
of it. after all, and / believe
most Americans will wish them
well but with dubious hope
that all of them will be able to
cleanse their minds of European
politics and become Americans.
4 s FAR as we know, this is
n the only group of refugees
so admitted under MIR Roose-
velt's decree and, If that is the
case. We may hope that there
IS no Trotsky among them.
But, from the beginning, the
proceeding has been lawless
and a calculated imposition on
the moist sympathy OF the
American people.
II was fatty predicted at the
time of their admission that
they would not be required to
go back and the propaganda 10
admit them permanently began
within few months after thei, 4
arrival
Incidentally. although Mr..
Roosevelt told Congress that
these refugees would be pre-
dominantly" women and chill
dren. that was not the case.
However. "A prompt challenge
Of this action probably did
thWart an intention 10 bring IN
many more thousands without
the slightest regard for their
politics or their fitness for
immigration.
I ONG before Mr.. Roosevelt
IL blandly advised Congress of
his own decision 10 ignore the
immigration laws in this case,
Harold Ickes had proposed that
we admit TO our of-Shore
islands, where distress, con-
tinued under the New Deal,
provides inviting material for
Communist confagratlon, as
many refugees OF the Spanish
Communist revolution as We
could find shipping for.
Not all refugees from the
victorious Franco army in Spain
who had fled 10 France were
Communists.
But the war in Spain had
been a practice war between
communism and nazi-fascIsm
and the Communists had lost.
Therefore, IL was reasonable
10 assume that in the immi-
grafton proposed by Mr.. lckes
We would receive in badly
troubled and remote American
r outpost force Of hardened -
killers who would Immediately
join the American Communists
IN waging civil war.
I ATER, Mr.. Roosevelt pro-
IL posed that our immigration
laws be suspended for the. /,
duration Of the World War AM
Francis Biddle, his attorney
general, appeared before the
Ways and Means committee Of
the House 10 urge compliance.
For justification he said that
otherwise il would be necessary
for us to pay ourselves a head
tax of SIS on every captured
German, Italian and Japanese
soldier brought here for de-
tention.
Moreover. il was argued, we
might otherwise embarraSs our
selves in the eyes of our Allies
by inflicting on visiting political
and military guests the for
malities of our immigration
stations.
Both excuses were a fiimSy
pretext for the Presidents
arbitrary action in the case OF
the 1000 Oswego refugees later
Ion. although Mr.. Biddle said at
the time. II can assure you that
the president has no intention
of exercising the powers so as
10 remove immigration barriers
for any purpose not connected
with the war effort
DENlED this legal permission
~ To open the country as
France had opened her doors.
for years to her great injury.
Mr.. Roosevelt finally ignored
the law and defied Congress.
He just sent message to the
Hill which said. Il wish TO re-
port to you a step which ] have
just taken"
This step was the admission
of the Oswego party.
There was no assurance that
these would be all.
The group. when they did
arrive were not t.- as he had
told Congress they would be.
"predOminantlv" women and