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Corsi Asks Congressional Inquiry of Operation of Refugee Act

April 13, 1955
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Edward J. Corsi, dismissed State Department immigration adviser, called today for a "complete Congressional investigation of the operation of the whole Refugee (Relief) Act."

He voiced his call following a press conference by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles who charged that Mr. Corsi had wanted to circumvent the law and was unqualified and unwilling to execute aspects of the Department’s refugee program. He further accused Mr. Corsi of being unwilling to act on details involving the facilitation of the flow of refugees. One of the reporters at the press conference reminded Mr. Dulles that only three months ago he had described Mr. Corsi as the "best qualified" man in the United States for the job.

Mr. Corsi, who characterized Mr. Dulles’ remarks today as "a string of falsehoods" insisted that "the American people can judge whether the admission of 1,000 refugees out of 214,000 makes the refugee program a success"–as was claimed by Mr. Dulles at his conference.

At the conference, Milton Friedman, Washington correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, asked the Secretary in view of his address last night stressing the importance of human equality and spiritual values, what he thought of the national origins quota system which discriminates against various races and nationalities. Mr. Dulles replied that the views of the Administration were well Known on this subject, that amendment of the law was being sought, and that the Administration was not satisfied with the law as it now stands.

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