Evening star., 1948-10-14
U. 5. May Not Be Able
To Fill DIP Quota Of
205,000 by June, 50
Second OF a Series. J
By Chalmers M. Roberts

194s permits the entry into the
United States of 205,000 Euro
pean displaced persons by June
81, 1850, but it appears today
tt t it will be tough job meet
in5 the goal by the deadline.
go Carusi, former head OF the
,U..ited States immigration and Nat
uraliZation Service, who now heads
the three-man Displaced Persons
Commission, is currently in Ger
many with the first OF his staff
selecting those who will go on the
early boats. But he will say only
that he thinks" the goal can be
reached. The Job has begun slowly
for a combination of reasons-the
commission was late in being
named, the law is extremely intri-
cate and many organizations have
q hand in the overall job.
The first boat should reach New
York just before the presidential
election, perhaps a good omen for
the 800 or more DPS who will be
coming to find the substance Of
that democracy they have been de-
prived of either by Hitler or Stain
Or a combination of the two.
Commission Has $2.000,000 -
Mr.. Carusi won't venture a guess
on how many DPS will arrive al
American ports by the end of the
laws first year next June 80, but
1t certainly will be less than half
the 205, 900 total. Perhaps 1000 will
make it in November, 5000 in De-
cember, 5000 or 5000 month early
in 1s49 and 10000 a month by June.
Even at such an accelerated pace
the second years program would
have to run close to $4,000 month.
To do the job the Displaced Per-
sons Commission was given S2,000,-
900 by Congress to spend unit. next
March 81 as a starter. Mr.. Carusl
says he expects his staff in Europe
to number eventually about 100,
with perhaps 40 more in Wash
ington.
If the commission alone were to
take on the job of bringing 205. 900
persons to America under the terms
and conditions of the DIP Act. the
job would be hopeless. Fortunately
there are able and strong groups
on both sides Of the Atlantic who
must and will do much of the job
and the International Refugee Or
eanization, a United Nations agency.
will provide the transportation by
train and ship to America.
This Is how the law works:
A displaced person, unlike
normal immigrant, does not apply to
enter the United States. He must
be asked for, either by name or by
description as to race, religion, oc-
eupation, age, marital status. He
may be asked for by an individual,
either a relative or not. Or he may
be asked for, as many are being re-
ouested, by one of the voluntary
agencies or by an employer in need
of certain types of skilled workers.
The voluntary agencies represent
the three major faiths of America
and onsthern, more than on any one
else, rests the success or failure of
the mass immigration. For they
must find the jobs, the housing, the
guarantees that the emigre will not
become a public charge. Their re-
presentatives now in Germany and
Austria will have a large hand in
the actual selection Of individuals
and families to fill the requests. And
finally they must follow up the new
Americans to see that round peg
In a square hole is quickly shifted to
q new job or home or environment,
where he can better find his place
In the American stream of life.
Ten American-financed agencies
are taking a part in the movement
Of displaced persons to the United
States. Four of them will take the
dominant role: The Church World
Service for Protestants and Ortho-
dox Catholics, the National Catholic
Welfare Council for Roman Catho-
lies and two Jewish agencies, the
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and
the American Joint Distribution
Committee.
Every indication. according to Mr..
Carusi, is .that the agencies can
much more than fill the $4,000 to
10000 Jobs needed among the 205, 900
immigrants. The problem will be to
keep the Job offers alive until the
last DIP reaches America late in
June, 1850.
The law requires not only guar
antee of a job, but Of safe and sani-
tary housing without displacing
others from housing. At first glance,
with the current American housing
shortage, homes for 205, 900 more
seems a tough problem, but many OF
the immigrants will share the homes
Of farmers or others who have room.
under their present roofs for any
thing from single person to a
family with five children. This is
especially true of farmers.
Interpretation Is Liberal.
With all its restrictions, however,
the American DIP law Is much more
humane than the practice of other
nations, IN taking entire family
groups. 1t will be up to the Dis
placed Persons Commission to say
that the suitable" employment for
an aged parent, for example, is to
sit at home and help tend the chill
dren. Mr.. Carusi has made 1t clear
he believes the Congress intended
liberal Interpretation of suitable"
employment and he proposes to
make 1t such.
The law gives preference to Ger
tain groups and occupations. 1t
says at least 80 per cent or $4,000
must be farmers. Most of the
farmers available are Polish Catho-
lies. The head of the National
Catholic Resettlement Council,
Msgr. Edward e. Swanstrom, has
estimated that at least S. per cent
of all the immigrants will be Roman
Catholics.
The law also says that at least 40
per cent or 10000 must be from
countries annexed by q foreign
power. This means the three Baltic
nations-Estoria, Latvia and Lithu-
ania-Poland east of the Curzon
line and perhaps the two sections of
Rumania known as Bukovina and
paesorohia All hoye hear, ohcorhod q