?ate Dept. Explains Why Jewish Dp’s Get Percentage of U.S. Visas from Europe

Figures on the number of U.S. visas issued ## displaced Jews in the American zones in Europe were made public here by the State department in answer to a query whether “special priority is given to members of the jewish faith” in granting visas to DP’s. The total number of Jewish refugees to re##eive visas during the last eleven months was under 10,000.

The question was addressed to the State Department by Congressman Edward T. ##ller, Republican of Maryland, who also wanted to know whether children were re##eiving priority and how many refugees might seek entry to the United States this ##ear. Both the letter from Rep. Miller and the State Department’s reply are published in the Congressional Record.Pointing out that the existing immigration statutes pertaining to the alle##ation of quotas and the “public charges provisions” were being complied with by U.S. ##onsular officials who issue the visas, the State Department made it clear that riority is given to orphaned children.With regard to the number of visas which were issued to displaced Jews, the state Department declared that Jewish organizations have been much more active in ##ssuing “corporate affidavits” guarantesing the support of the refugees once they each the United Stated than the “non-Jewish welfare organizations.” Another reason #as that the greater number of persons applying under the German quota were Jewish persecutees” and that screening had ruled out many persons of German ethnic origin because of their “status under the Nazi regime.”According to consular reports, there have been a total of 14,474 visas issued to DP’s from March, 1946, to January of this year. Of these 9,627 were Jewish, 2,173 Catholic, 1,969 Protestant, and 705 of other or no religious faith, the State Department revealed.