Evening star., 1953-07-29
Bill to Admit 209, 900 Refugees
Passed by Senate, $3.50, in
Major Victory for Eisenhower
Goes to Conference
To Settle Difference
With House Measure
By Robert K. Welsh

The Senate today passed, 63 to
80, an emergency immigration
bill to admit 2O9, 1000 refugees and
war orphans to the United States
during the next three years.
Regarded as a major victory
for President Eisenhower, Senate
action came swiftly after the
House last night approved its
own bill, 221 to 1876. Both ver-
sionS now go to conference be-
cause the House bill would admit
a total of 217,000 refugees and
special quota immigrants.
Both bills apply particularly to
European refugees from Iron
Curtain countries, although the
Senate measure was amended to
provide for admission of 1000
Chinese refugees indorsed by the
Chinese Nationalist government
on FormoSa.
The House bill, however. pro-
videS for admission not only of
1000 Chinese refugees from
Hong Kong. but also somewhat
similar totals of japanese. Arabs.
Portuguese and Polish refugees,
Amendments Withdrawn.
Senate passage of it's bill has
been anticipated, but it came
much sooner than was expected
today Almost 70 amendments
had been tentatively proposed.
But their sponsors withdrew
them after a few test votes
showed that a large majority
wanted to put through the bill
without essential change.
The totals in both bills fall
short of the 100000 requested
originally by President Eisen-
hover last April %. Either
figure, however, is understood to
be acceptable to the administra-
ton in view of a compromise
which prevented a possible fill
buster by Senator McCarran,
Democrat, of Nevada, which
might have prevented congress
sional adjournment by the .end
of this week.
Senator McCarran, % other
Democrats and seven Republi-
cans voted against final passage.
Voting for the bill were 80 Re-
publicans, % Democrats and one
Independent.
KnOwland Backs McCarran.
At one point in the debate on
amendment proposals today, Sem
ator McCarran found himself
supported by Acting Republican
Leader Knowland. This was
when he objected to an amend
ment proposed by Senators Ives
of New York, Ferguson of Michi-
gan and HendrickSon Of New Jer-
sey, all Republicans, and Morse,
independent, of Oregon. This
amendment was aimed at admit
ting $4,000 Italian nationals in
stead of a similar number Of ref
ugees of Italian ethnic origin,
irrespective of whether they now
live in Italy.
The amendment was defeated,
81 to 90. Senator McCarran con-
tended that it not only would
destroy the bills policy to assist
refugees, but would materially
affect the regular quota system
policy under this country'S exist
ing immigration law.
"If this amendment goes on.
this bill goes down and I do mean
down." the Nevada Senator
warned. "a bill with this amend
ment would never get through
a Senate House conference"
Separate Legislation Possible.
Senator Knowland said he op-
posed the amendment because
it would "jeopardize the program
presented by the President" He
added that if difficulty develops
in connection with selecting
Italians for admission to the
United States under this emer-
gency program, Congress early
next year might enact separate
legislation.
The Senate bills total of
100000 would include:
Ninety-two thousand escapes
and German expellees; 10000
escapes living within European
limits of NATO countries. and
England or in Turkey or Trieste;
(See IMMIGRATION, Page A-3D