President Truman today told members of the Displaced Persons Commission that he was pleased with the Commission’s accomplishments and of its ability to move 400,000 DPs from Europe. This number included 18 per cent of Jews.
The Commission is terminating its operations at the end of this month. Its final report, made public yesterday, contained an urgent plea for new immigration legislation — including revision of provisions of the McCarran-Walter Immigration Bill — to cope with the world refugee problem.
A Commission spokesman said that the President and the Commission regretted the failure of Congress to enact an immigration bill which would have admitted 300,000 more persons in the next three years as a means of relieving overpopulation and tension in Europe. The President and the Commission were hopeful, however, that the bill could be passed during the next session of Congress.
Harry Rosenfield, a member of the Commission, pointed out to White House newsmen that the commission in its final report recommended that the U.S. should “liberalize its immigration laws, and adjust the national origins quota system to the realities of the United States present role as the leading nation of the free world.”
The Commission emphasized its recommendation to adjust the national origins quota system which favors English, German and Irish immigrants. It said this should be adjusted to “the nation’s present leadership in world affairs.” President Truman particularly struck out at this provision when he vetoed the omnibus immigration bill. The act was passed over the veto.
The Displaced Persons Law – enacted in June, 1948 – provided for nonquota admission of refugees, the commission pointed out, but required that 50 per cent of such visas be charged to the future. Under this temporary overriding of restrictions, the report said, the quotas for many countries are mortgaged ahead for centuries. The Latvian quota, for example, is mortgaged to the year 2274.
The commission suggested that such problems be dealt with by making these visas nonquota or by charging them to quotas that otherwise would not be used. It pointed out that under normal programs only about one-fourth of the 154,000 visas available each year were used.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
