Evening star., 1948-06-16

world too long, that would be simply Voltaire,
to him, Thompson, Fleeson. ct al.
MISS voLTAIRE.
Admitting Displaced Persons
To the Editor Of The Star:
This Is with further reference to my letter
on the Senate displaced persons bill to The
Star on June 10, which appeared in The Star
of June IL, and particularly to the three
paragraph editors note which followed my
letter. The note contends that was in error
in asserting that the Senate bill will discrimi-
nate against Jewish displaced persons. Nor
3nally, would be reluctant to reply to an
editors note. However, in this instance, the
note contains q number of inaccuracies and I
know that The Star, with its great tradition
of fairness and objectivity, had no intention to
distort facts purposely, and would probably
welcome the factual information which follows
in this letter as q reply to the note
In the first paragraph Of the note you state
that, under the terms of the Senate bill, SO
per cent of the visas are to be issued to dis
placed persons who are farmers and who came
from the Baltic States or Eastern Poland"
This bill does not provide for this. Section
of the bill provides that not less than so per
cent of the visas shall be issued to those from
the Baltic States and Eastern Poland, and Sec
ton Of the bill provides that not less than
so per cent of the visas shall be issued to those
who were previously engaged in agricultural
pursuits. In other words, while the note would
lead one to believe that so per cent Of the
total Of visas were to be issued to displaced
persons who are farmers and who came from
the Baltic States or Eastern Poland" in fact,
the bill provides that so per cent shall be
farmers and another so per cent shall come
from the Baltic States and Eastern Poland.
While in fact there may be some overlap
between these two 50 per cent provisions.
nevertheless 1t may just as well be that the
two 80 per cent provisions would be mutually
exclusive; which could only have been partially
prevented by combining the two so per cent
quotas into one provision.
Contends Jews Are Excluded.
These two provisions of the bill, In and OF
themselves, would have the effect Of excluding
practically all Jewish displaced persons How
ever, in addition to these provisions, the bill
provides that eligibility for visas shall be
judged as Of December, 1s45, instead of April
81, 1s47, which was the date that Gen. Clay
formally closed the camps to further refugees
In fact, most Of the present Jewish DPS
arrived at the camps between December. 1945
and April, 1s47, and, thus, the Senate bill
triply certain that Jewish displaced persons
shall not come under the terms Of the bill.
Although agree with you that there was
probably nothing said on the floor Of the
Senate in its consideration OF the bill, which
afirmatively proved that the Senate bill has
the result whether Intentionally or not OF
excluding Jewish DPS when the Fellows bill
was debated on the floor Of the House last
Thursday and Friday this became overwhelm-
ingly and discouragingly apparent. On page
8042 of the Congressional record Of June II,
Congressman Lesinski specifically urged the
House to amend the Fellows bill so as to
include the Senate provisions and, thus, he
argued, prohibit Jewish displaced persons from
coming within the scope Of the legislation. 1t
Is to the everlasting: credit of Congressman
Walter, who has represented the goth district
of Pennsylvania for Is years, that he arose on
the floor and replied to Congressman Lesin-
skis statement as follows:
"I never thought the day would come when
any member of the House would make the
kind of appeal that has just been made by the
Representative from Michigan. Certainly, this
Is the last place in the world where anything
even resembling an appeal to religious preju-
dice should even be whispered. The fact Of
the matter Is that under our immigration laws
tUcIc dC llO QuOtdo uSSOlOAA6 w AC16AoA, q
quota is according to nationality. When,
therefore, the Representative from Michigan
talks about the number of Jews who came
into this country he is doing it for the
deliberate purpose Of appealing to the baser
instincts Of people who do not sit in the halls
of the Congress of the United States"
"Affront to Christian Principles"
On page 8087 of the Congressional Record
~ kbo dew Carroll Of Co1o-
RADIO stated that "the Senate bill, no matter
what the intent, discriminates against certain
minority groups, and many of the provisions
Of the bill are inequitable." If further proof
is needed that the Senate bill is discriminatory
and violates our fundamental concepts OF
Justice and fair play, refer you to the state
ment of CONGRESSMAN Multer Of New York, on
page 8055 Of the Record, which includes
communication stating that the Senate bill is
"an affront to the Christian principles OF
brotherhood Of man and the freedom OF con-
science" The communication which Congress-
man Multer read was signed by the Federal
Council of the Churches Of Christ In America
the director of the Department of Christian
Social Welfare of the National Conference OF
Protestant Episcopal Churches, the public rela-
tions secretary of the Baptists of the United
States, the director of the Baptist World Relief
for the Northern Baptist Convention, the ex-
ecutive secretary Of the Methodist Church, the
director of the Council for Social Action Of the
Congregational Christian Churches and the
general secretary Of the Board Of National
Missions of the Presbyterian Church, United
States of America.
As you know, the House Fellows bill which
was passed last Friday by vote Of 2S9 to 81,
provides for the date of April II, 1897 as the
effective date to determine eligibility. In
addition, it provides for certain preferences OF
occupation and, more Importantly, specifically
states that the visas shall be made available
to each element or group of nationals or
religious faiths in exact proportion to their
numbers in the camps. This, to me, Is in
keeping with the American traditional concept
of nondiscriminatory legislation and. once
again re-enunciates the basic principles on