Evening star., 1947-07-14
Letters to The Star
More on DPS Problem


To the Editor OF The Star:
It Is an amazing attitude taken by President
Truman, The Star and some members of Con-
gress regarding the admission of more aliens
into the United States.
Is this what our boys fought and died for
to save . democracy to be destroyed by the
in1ltration of alien blood? In a former decade
Ambassador Bryce warned America against this
very evil. Regardless Of our sympathy for all
suffering humanity, we should not forget the
welfare Of the Nation by failing to safeguard
our democracy.
Where are these DPS going to live? With
our own American heroes being chased like
gophers from hill to hill and their young wives
and children living in tents and alleyways is
this the freedom we pirate about?
JOHN FRANCIS STEELE.
To the Editor OF The STAR
I read with interest, but little conviction,
the editorial titled 1--WE Have Room for Them"
in the July edition of The Star. The author
of the aforementioned article was quite pro-
fuse in stating generalities and beautiful
theories but found not one iota OF fact to
back up the statement: There is still room for
them here"
I refer to the plan for admitting 100000
European displaced persons to the United
States over q period of possibly four years. Is
it possible that those who so readily advocate
admittance of so many DPS over and above
our present quota, totally are unaware OF our
present drastic housing shortage and the fact
that we already have numerous families seeking
refuge in tents, pitched in parks and other
public places? Can it be that those who wish to
receive the DPS have turned a deaf ear to the
poignant pleas of veterans and others who
have families here now but no place to house
them?
Some say that charity should begin at home,
yet those who already seek homes here are not
asking for charity, merely for chance to rent
or buy homes near their places of employment.
It is true that immigrants have brought varied
skills and technical knowledge to the United
States but we know that Europe must be re-
habilitated and reconstructed and to me that
suggests dire need for skilled labor and tech
nicians there. Would it not be more feasible
for the DPS to help rebuild and remake Europe
to their own liking? If they are all pro-
democratic, would they not make excellent
missionaries for the dissemination of Our ways
Of thinking?
I do not believe that those unfortunate
enough to be displaced should be cast out and
forgotten. The United States should shoulder
its share Of the responsibilities to feed them,
clothe them, and to lend every possible as
sistance to getting them back on their feet,
both financially and spiritually But I def
nitely do not advocate an expanded immigra-
ton quota until such time as present United
States citizens have been housed. It would
only increase the suffering of the DPS who
would be transplanted to United States soil.
Ideas, theories and principles are not enough.
We must combine little "horse sense" with
our natural desire to help humanity. The
United States cannot divorce itself from the
problems of Europe but the approach to the
solution Of these problems must be practical.
Let's house the displaced families already in
the United States before we attempt to admit
European DPS. H. E. CALLAWAY.