Evening star., 1953-01-02
Truman Advisers Ask
Complete Revision Of
immigration Act
By Robert K. Welsh

n pIcSIuCIlIIdl CUIklIQlSSIOIl > pIO.
posals to scrap the McCarran.
Walter Act and overhaul the basic
philosophy and major provision,
of the immigration and naturaliza.
ton system appeared today to face
a hard fight in the new Congress
The commission, named by
President Truman last September
declared that the present law vio-
lates American rights. harms thi.
country's economic strength anc
foreign relations, endangers ma.
tional security and is even more
complicated than the previou.
hodge-podge Of scattered statute.
1t was supposed to codify.
The McCarran-Walter ACT went
into effect less than 10 days ago
Congress last summer passed il
over the Presidents veto. It has
been highly controversial from the
outset. More recently it drew pro-
tests from alarmed foreign ma
tions and shipping companies.
During the campaign last fall
President-elect Eisenhower came
out for revamping Of the law.
Backers to Resist Move.
It's hackers have served notice
that they will resist attacks on il
In the Congress convening to-
morrow.
The Presidents commission did
not deal directly with the legisla-
tive enactment which drew its
name from the principal congress
sional sponsors, Senator McCar-
ran, Democrat, of Nevada and
Representative Walter, Democrat
of Pennsylvania. But the COM
missions suggestions are to be
introduced in Congress in a bill
probably to be sponsored by q
group Of legislators in each branch
The 300-pags report urged q
sweeping revision of immigration
and naturalization procedures. II
advocated a different fundamental
approach in policy and principles
It demanded that the national
origins quota system be replaced
by a single unified quota system. u
It put greater emphasis on ending
discrimination against race, color,
creed or national origin.
While following much the same
formula as the McCarran-Walter
Act in providing for annual quotas
on the basis of population of this
country. the proposed method
would use the latest national CEN
sus instead of the 1920 census as
the.baSe, as does the present law.
This computation would take in
the entire census and not merely
the white population total as is
done now.
Increase In Immigrants.
The effect, on the basis of the
1850 census, would be to permit
entry Of Isl. 1852 aliens instead of
154,657 who are now divided
among IS separate quotas. The
overall increase in immigrants,
for the next three years. would be
made up of refugees and displaced
persons at the rate of 100000 q
year.
Another proposed change would
strip the Justice and State De-
partInents of their present han
ding of immigration and natural
iZation matters.
These functions would be per-
formed by an independent Com
mission on immigration and
Naturalization. Under this COM
mission would be an administrator
and a Board Of immigration and
Visa Appeals. The commission
would allocate visas for all parts
of the world without racial or
nationality discrimination, under
the unified quota policy, subject
to presidential and congressional
approval.
The ALLEGATIONS would be as
signed according to these prior
tiles: The right of asylum, reunion
Of families. needs of the United
States for special talent and skills,
the special needs of other coun-
tries to export surplus population,
and for general immigration.
Security Aspects Cited.
The Presidents commission said
the duties of enforcing the law
should not be handled by the same
persons who receive appeals and
have quasi-judicial responsibilities
such as holding hearings.
The reports section of national
security aspects of the immigra-
ton said, in part:
Present members of subversive
or totalitarian organizations
should be denied visas and exclud-
ed from admission to the United
States. Present membership OF
affiliation should create a pre-
sumption of such belief or SYM
pathy, subject to counterveiling
evidence that it was involuntary
Allen members or aff1liates OF
SubverSive organizations who
were lawfully admitted to the
United States prior to reaching
the age of Is years or have re-
sided in the United States for al
least 20 years should not be sub
ject to deportation but should be
dealt with in the same manner
as subversive citizens.
Determination as to whether
an alien should be excluded with
out a hearing, on the basis OF
confidential information, should
be made by the proposed board.
Clearance System.
AS for foreign visitors and non
iYnn1iCrantS Wh0 MIGHT he chal-