Rep. Emanuel Celler of New York today cabled General Lucius D, Clay in Berlin urging him to “disobey the order of Assistant Secretary of State Charles E, Saltzman that seeks to interfere with your authority to grant exit visas to Jewish DP’s of military age en route to Palestine.
“You need not associate yourself with any order illegally proposed,” Celler tabled, adding that the order contravenes Congressional and Presidential resolutions calling for unlimited Jewish immigration into Palestine. “Only your superiors, Chief of Staff Omar Bradley or President Truman can force you to disregard that declared policy of the United States, and President Truman would not do so,” Celler declared.
He informed Clay that the General has “widespread support back home for continuing your humanitarian policy of freely granting exit visas to all Jews seeking to make Israel their home,” The Congressional intention, Celler asserted, is to close DP camps in Germany as soon as possible.
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