Introduction of Bill in Congress on Oswego Refugees Held Inadvisable by Jewish Groups

Following a conference with representatives of leading Protestant, Catholic and Jewish agencies who are concerned with the problems of refugees in the United States, Congressman Samuel Dickstein, Chairman of the House committee on Immigration, today stated that the introduction of any bill aimed at changing the status of the Oswego refugees is inadvisable at this time. His views are supported by the representatives of the organizations with whom he conferred.

Mr. Dickstein expressed the belief that the Immigration Committee’s sub-committee on Oswego would soon be in a position to recommend a program that would provide amelioration for the special problems of the more than 900 refugees living at the Oswego shelter. The sub-committee, originally scheduled to visit the shelter on June 11, has postponed its “on-the-scene study” for a week or ten days, because important matters in Washington on that date make it impossible for the members of the sub- committee to be away from the Capital.

Participating in the conference with Mr. Dickstein were representatives of the following agencies: American Christian Committee for Refugees, American Friends Service committee, War Relief Services, National Catholic Welfare Conference, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, National Council of Jewish Women, National Refugee Service, Inc., National Board, Y.W.C.A., National Community Relations Advisory Council, which includes, among others, the American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, Anti- Defamation League of the B’nai Brith and the Jewish Labor Committee.