Congressman Kenneth B. Keating, New York Republican, today introduced in the House a bill that would change the qualifying date in the Displaced Persons Act from Dec. 22, 1945 to April 17, 1947. It is a companion measure to a similar amendment introduced in the Senate by seven Republican Senators, led by Sen. H. Alexander Smith, of New Jersey.
Keating estimated that well over 100,000 Jewish displaced persons had entered the camps between the two dates. “To mark them ineligible for admission under the displaced persons program seems unfair and unfortunate,” he told the House.
Unless Congress appropriates an additional $2,000,000 to administer the displaced persons program, only 40,000 DP’s will be able to enter the United States in the first year of the program, Ugo Carusi, newly appointed displaced persons commissioner, said today.
Sponsors of the program originally asked $5,000,000 for the first year of the program. The Senate cut the figure to $3,000,000 and the House to $2,000,000, with the Senate later agreeing to the lower figure. President Truman asked Congress on Monday to appropriate an additional $2,000,000 for the operation of the program during the first year.
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