The Senate today continued debate on the Wiley-Revercomb Bill to admit 100,000 displaced persons to the United States within two years, but earlier hopes for swift action on the bill began to fade because of the piling up of additional urgent bills for consideration and the little time left before the summer recess. Nevertheless, sponsors of the bill indicated a vote on it might be achieved by Saturday at the latest, including action on 17 amendments new pending to it.
Sen. Alexander Wiley, sponsor of the bill, opened discussion today by tracing its legislative background. He pointed out that the bill does not controvert existing laws reserving United States soil for “homesteading” Americans. Sen. Alexander Smith, who yesterday appealed for prompt passage of the bill “to reassure the faith of free men in the United States,” spoke again today in favor of amendments raising the two-year DP quota to 200,000.
Sen. Kenneth Wherry, Senate majority leader, late today appealed to the upper chamber on its adjournment for the day “to get to work on the DP bill first thing tomorrow, vote on it and get all the amendments and the bill itself cleared up by tomorrow night.” Wherry’s appeal was made after consultation with Republican leaders Taft and Ferguson evidently had their approval for a prompt decision on the bill.
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