Major national Jewish organizations today hailed President Truman’s veto of the McCarran-Walter immigration bill yesterday and emphasized that his action had given new hope to those forces which seek a liberal immigration policy.
The National Community Relations Advisory Council, representing six major Jewish groups and 27 local community councils throughout the United States, commended the President for disapproving “the restrictive and exclusionary measure.” It’s message expressed the hope that Congress will sustain the veto and afford opportunity for consideration of an immigration law “consistent with American concepts of fair play and with America’s role and responsibility in the contemporary world.”
Dr. Israel Goldstein, president of the American Jewish Congress, congratulated the President on his veto and for offering Congress “a fresh opportunity, by sustaining your veto, to reject the bigotry and racism of the McCarran-Walter bill and to enact genuinely liberal immigration legislation containing necessary safeguards for our national security and in keeping with our best traditions and our position of moral leadership in the world.”
American Jewish Committee head Jacob Blaustein, in his congratulatory message, declared; “Your veto of the McCarran Bill is an action taken in the finest tradition of American democracy. You are to be congratulated for your action, which will show the peoples of the world that the United States of America is a democracy in action as well as in words.”
Justice Meier Steinbrink, national chairman of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, sent the following message: “May we extend our sincere support for your action in vetoing the McCarran-Walter bill as a step in the defense of democracy and the preservation of basic human values. By your action you have demonstrated once again that our country stands firmly for human dignity and is opposed to the creation of iron curtains.”
B’nai B’rith president Frank Goldman, in a telegram to the President, expressed gratification with the veto and added: “You are giving the American people further evidence of your great courage and wise leadership. We of the B’nai B’rith are profoundly appreciative.”
The Jewish Labor Committee applauded the veto in a telegram to Mr. Truman. “Your humane and courageous action now paves the way for a genuine codification of the immigration laws and the establishment of a policy which will strengthen the United States in its role as world leader among free and democratic nations,” the wire said. “Your consistent devotion to humanitarian ideals is an inspiration to those peoples everywhere who look upon the United States as a land of hospitality and real democracy.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
