Evening star., 1952-12-21
Controversial Law
On immigration 10 Go
Into Effect Wednesday
By Cecil HoIIond

migration law, carrying provisions
for more stringent safeguards Of
this country's security, will go into
effect at 1901 am. Wednesday.
Just how effectively and fairly
the new law will operate must
await the test of time under the
watchful eyes of critics who. have
denounced it while 1t was being
considered in Congress and after
its passage over President Tru-
mans veto.
Provisions Protested Widely.
Many groups throughout the
country have protested provisions
of the law. Attorney General
McGranery has said it is full Of
"ambiguities and defects" and
badly needs changing and qualifl-
cation to remove serious problems
of administration and enforce
ment.
Mr.. McGranery supervises the
Justice Departments Immigra-
tion and Naturalization Service
which is charged with RESPONSE
bility for administering the many
new and complex features of the
new law.
The service. which has issued a
130.000-word set of regulations to
give effect to the law, explained
some of its major provisions at a
brief1ng session here last week
It's officials frankly admitted they
did not pretend to have the
answer to the problems of apply
ing the law in every situation.
They agreed that some provisions
seem certain to go to the courts
for a final determination.
A presidential commission
headed by former Solicitor Cen
eral Philip B. Perlman has been
studying the new law and holding
hearings on it throughout the
country. The commissions report.
due soon. is expected to recon-
mend changes and notifications.
Changes Depend on Congress.
Whether any changes will be
attempted in the 83d Congress
taking Office in January will de-
pend largely on what course
follows. During the campaign he
indicated some dissatisfaction
with the law as written, saying
the country must not lose its
great place as "a haven for the
politically oppressed of the world"
Sponsors of the new act have
indicated. on the other hand, they
will insist on giving 1t a test of
time before changes and modifi-
cations are considered.
The law is known as the Nc
Carran-Walter Act from its two
principal sponsors in Congress,
Chairman McCarran of the Senate
Judiciary Committee, and Rep
resentative Walter, Democrat. of
Pennsylvania. It was originally
proposed to "codify and simplify'S
immigration matters into a.Single'
statute. In the preparation, how
ever, many old migration laws
we're rewritten and new sections
added. largely designed to bulwark
the country's security against
Communist and subversive activi-
ties. ~
Some Major Provisions.
Some of the laws major pro-
visions, as outlined by immigra-
ton officials, are:
l. Specifically bans the adnis-
sion Of Communist and other sub-
versives. No barrier is raised,
however, to Nazis and similar per-
sons who can otherwise meet ad-
mission requirements-a provision
that has drawn protests from
some veterans groups.
@ Provides new controls on
alien seamen seeking to land in
this country for temporary stays.
This provision has drawn pro-
tests from a number of foreign
countries.
3. Carries forward the 1910
Alien Registration law with added
provisions requiring aliens to re-
port any change of address and
to report their addresses annually
whether they change or not
Aliens here on a temporary permit
must report their whereabouts
every three months.
4. Provides for deportation of
aliens when they willfully fail to
register annually.
5. Bars forever from natural
ization aliens who applied for and
received exemption from United
States military service because Of
their foreign birth.
6. Provides for revocation of
citizenship for naturalized Ameri-
cans for refusing. within 10 years
after naturalization. to testify be-
fore a congressional committee
inquiring about subversive activi-
ties.
7. Gives to the Attorney Gen.
eral discretion to defer deporta-
ton of an alien who contends he
will be prosecuted or harmed i'll
returned to the country of his
origin. The present law forbids
such deportation if an alien canl
establish he faces such persecu-
ton.
8. Extends to persons arriving
from Alaska the usual port-of-
entry inspection and examination
of aliens.
8. ReviseS provisions for loss of
citizenship by naturalized Ameri-
cans who return to the country
of their origin. The new law pro-
vides for revocation if the natural
ized citizen lives for three years in
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