A three-member commission which will direct the program of admitting 205,000 displaced persons to the United States within the next two years under the terms of the bill passed last night by the Senate-which is unfavorable to the immigration of Jewish refugees to this country–will be appointed by President Truman within a few days, it was reported here today.President Truman is expected to sign the measure tomorrow.
No attempts will be made by groups dissatisfied with the bill to have the President veto it, it was learned here, since Truman indicated yesterday that he will sign the bill, but will issue a statement expressing his; dissatisfaction with several of its provisions, which were bitterly assailed in both chambers of Congress, prior to the bill’s passage.
A Senate Appropriations sub-committee recommended last night an allocation of $3,500,000 for the commission for the fiscal year beginning July 1.It is believed here that Ugo Carusi, former Immigration and Naturalization Commissioner, now an expert on DP problems in the State Department, will be appointed head of the commission.
Government sources indicated today that at least 1,800 immigration serried sorters and investigators will have to be hired for service with American consulates in Europe.These 1,800 would be in addition to special personnel which oust be employed to screen the so called “Volksdeutsche” who are to be admitted to this country under the provisions of the Congressional DP bill.
REP. CELLER ESTIMATES ONLY 6,000 JEWS WILL ENTER U.S. UNDER BILL
Rep. Emanuel Celler, one of the four Senate-House conferees who refused to sign the compromise measure before it was sent to the House for approval, estimated today that while 27,000 Volksdeutsche–persons of German ethnic origin who lived in countries adjoining Germany before the war and who returned to Germany after the war ended–will be permitted to enter the United States during the next two years, only about 6,000 Jewish refugees will be able to gain entrance, during the same period.
During yesterday’s debate in the Senate, prior to the measure’s adoption by a voice vote, several Senators sharply criticized the bill for its limitation on the number of Jewish and Catholic immigrants who will be allowed to enter the U.S. Senator Claude Pepper charged that the bill, “instead of welcoming DP’ s, has every obstacle written in to keep them out.” However, he and several other critics of the bill in the Senate voiced the hope that “liberalizing amendments” will be added to it when the next session of Congress meets in January/1949.
Senator J. Howard McGrath, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, charged that the bill discriminated against Jews and Catholics and “wrote principles of narrowness, intolerance and bigotry into the Law.”
Meanwhile, government sources indicated here that approximately 20 former U.S. Arm transports will be placed at the disposal of the International Refugee Organization to bring the refugee immigrants to these shores at the rate of about 10,000 monthly. The vessels will be manned by U.S. Army personnel and will be in full operation by November. The I.R.O. is expected to reimburse the U.S. Government for the displaced persons’ passage to the United States at an annual sum of $18,000,000.
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