Evening star., 1948-06-19
Letters to The Star
Defends Senats DIP Bill

Defends Senats DIP Bill
To the Editor Of The star:
have read with interest in The Star. June
II and June is. Dr.. Norman Gerstenfeld's let
ters criticizing the editorial Action on the
DPS"
But after hearing and reading the Senate
debate on the Displaced Persons bill, 1t seems
to me that the evidence presented does not sub
stantiate Dr.. GerstenfeldS criticism either OF
The Star editorial or the bill as passed by the
Senate.
Last year committee Of Senators was sent
to Europe to study and report upon the Dis
placed Persons problem The report which was
the result OF this study is entitled Displaced
Persons in Europe" Report Of the Committee
Of the Judiciary, United States Senate. On
page 16 Of this report we may read the follow
ing: There were between $1,000 and 10000
Jews liberated in the American zone Of Ger
many at the end Of hostilities. It has been esti-
mated that so per cent Of those have enaigrated
to Palestine one way or another. Some have
come to America under the German and Polish
national quotas OF the $4,000 Jews in Ger
many In Displaced Persons camps in the Ameri-
can zone only about 10000 were there before
the end Of the war;"
In the Senate debate the question arose: :,
Who were Displaced Persons due to the war
and who were not? 1t was evident to the
Senate committee that had studied the problem
of Displaced Persons in Europe, and also to
the Senate, that persons -hocking into the
American zone voluntarily more than six
months after the war. should not be given
immigration privileges to the United States.
It was decided that those persons who had
been forcefully displaced from their coun-
tries and who were in the American zone In
December, 1945 (about six months after the
war had ended) were the persons who really
had been displaced. This eliminated more
than 100000 Jews who moved voluntarily into
the American zone after July, 1916, or more
than year after the war had ended.
Precedent Trouble Making.
To establish precedent by admitting into the
United States persons who voluntarily had
moved into the American zone more than six
months after the war had ended would create
very large problems for the American zone in
the future, because the Senate report states on
page IL: Representatives Of international
church relief organizations in Europe estimate
that there are approximately 100000 po-
tential refugees in Eastern Europe who will
join in the migration from east to west"
During the debate in the Senate on this
problem, Senator Cain, who had three years
personal experience in the European war and
also was q visiting Senator representing the
Senate after the war, made this statement: II
want the record to show that 1t is obvious that
q number Of men and women who have en-
tered the Displaced Persons camps in Europe
since 1945 have entered Of their own free WILL
and because they considered 4 Displaced Per-
sons camp to be a way station on their journey
toward the largesse of the United States"
Can any one dispute this statement? If so
why is 1t that the more than 100000 Jewish
persons who came into the occupied zones after
July, 1916, did not enter the British and French
zones? According to the Senate report, page
Is, the French zone contains only 1900 jews
and the British zone 1O,500 Jews, but the
American zone has 115,ooo Jews-the vast ma
jority Of whom came into our zone more than
. year after the war had ended.
Majority Of Immigrants Jews. ss-.,
According to the Senate report page 23, it
is estimated by the end of this month, June 30,
1913, the number Of Displaced Persons who will
have been admitted into the United States will
be approximately $1,000. II the Jewish Dis-'
placed Persons are as well represented in this
$4,000 as they were in the first 2295e Displaced
Persons who had entered the United States by
this time last year. it is difncult to see how they
can claim discrimination According to the
Senate report, page 26, by June 80. 1947, 15,47s
Jews had entered compared with only 3,424
Catholics and 1858 Protestants.
One Of the reasons why the Senate bill re-
quires that large proportion Of the 100000
Displaced Persons who will be allowed to enter
this country must have some agricultural ex-
perience is because the Senate report states
on page rs that more than three-fourths of
the Displaced Persons admitted In this fiscal
year settled in large cities and one-haH Of
them were destined to New York alone"
If any one wishes to understand Why the
Senate passed the bill that it did, let him study
the Report Of the Senate Committee on the
Judiciary entitled displaced Persons in Eu-
rope" This is An of1cial document of the
United States Congress, and it will help to dis
pei great deal Of misunderstanding which has
been spread throughout the country by prop
agandists. GUY IRVING BURCH.
No Flag in Supreme Court
To the Editor of The Star:
I saw your editorial on Flag Day. On Mon