Vice-President Alben Barkley, addressing the national conference of the United Service for New Americans here, today predicted that the U.S. Senate would approve legislation intended to liberalize the Displaced Persons Act of 1948 at its current session. He expressed confidence that removal of the discriminatory provisions would enable “additional refugees to come to America.” He lauded the U.S.N.A. and other voluntary agencies aiding DP immigrants reaching the United States.
Harry Rosenfield, member of the Displaced Persons Commission, assailed the foes of liberalized D.P legislation and denounced efforts to “besmirch the displaced persons program.” He stated that such efforts constitute one of three crises threatening the success of the “resettlement job started by the American people when the Displaced Persons Act of 1948 was passed.”
The “vicious and cruel” effects of the present Displaced Persons Act on “innocent and helpless displaced persons caught by the law’s spiderweb of arbitrary and capricious restrictions constitute another crisis in the resettlement program,” he said. The third crisis, Mr. Rosenfield added, was the “callous disregard exhibited by some people” toward the 250,000 displaced persons “who will be left in D.P. camps and areas on June 30, 1950, if the present law is not liberalized and extended.”
Walter H. Bioringer, of Newton, Mass., was elected president of the U.S.N.A., succeeding Edwin Rosonberg, who was elected honorary president. William Rosenwald and Mrs. Joseph M. Welt were reelected honorary president. Albert H. Lieberman of Philadelphia, was elected chairman of the board of directors, succeeding Mrs. David Sher.
Edwin Rosenberg, outgoing president of the U.S.N.A., disclosed last night that 100,000 homeless European Jews were brought to the United States and resettled here since 1945 by the U.S.N.A. at a cost exceeding $37,000,000. He said this sum was only a portion of the amount spent by American Jews during the five-year period, since it does not include sums spent by local Jewish communities for the care of displaced persons in their midst.
President Truman, in a message to the conference, said: “The plight of the many thousands of people still homeless in Europe is a matter of great concern to all freedom-loving men and women. We may indeed take pride in the fact that the United States has kept its gates open to rescue many of those displaced persons from the want and misery that has been their lot for years.
“The program carried on by United Service for New Americans in behalf of the American Jewish community for the welfare of their fellow human beings is an impressive demonstration of democracy functioning at its best. Such a program is deserving of the support and respect of all Americans,” the message said.
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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.
