American Jewish Congress Urges Barring of Walter Gieseking’s Entry into U.S.

Watson B. Miller, Commissioner of Naturalization and Immigration, was urged today by the American Jewish Congress to bar the entry into the United States of Walter Gieseking, German concert pianist accused of having been a Nazi collaborator. His entry into the U.S., the A.J.C. said, would be “prejudicial to the best interests of the United States.”

Rabbi Irving Miller, chairman of the Congress executive committee, warned that Gieseking1s admission to the U.S. “would be a blow to our entire denazification program and would shock our Allies. Gieseking has not formally been admitted to the U.S., having been detained by the Immigration and Naturalization Service and then paroled. The Service, may, if desired, order a full-dress investigation and public hearing. It should do so at once,” he added.

Gieseking, who arrived at Ellis Island over the week-end, is scheduled to give the first performance of a nation-wide, concert tour tonight at Carnegie Hall. Thee Jewish War Veterans have announced that members of the organization will set up a picket line outside Carnegie Hall if the German pianist performs there tonight.