Rep. Walter Refuses to Apologize for Attack on Jews

Rep. Francis Walter, co-author of the McCarran-Walter Immigration Act who stated in the House this week that “professional Jews are shedding crocodile tears for no reason whatsoever” over the new immigration law, today rejected a request by Jesse Moss, National Commander of the Jewish War Veterans, for an apology for his remark.

“People who read my statement will realize that those who are offended by it are the ones who are seeking reasons to be offended,” the Pennsylvania Congressman said. Mr. Moss, in demanding a retraction from Rep. Walter said that he “owes an apology not only to the Jew but to the American people” since his remark against Jews is un-American and harmful to the country. “All Americans regard with equal abhorrence the radical of the Right who may attack one minority group and the radical of the Left who may attack another, ” Mr. Moss said.

Six organizations representing Americans of foreign descent joined today in deploring the attack by Rep. Walter. The Polish-American Veterans, American Hungarian Federation, Ukrainian-American Congress, United Puerto Rican Clubs, Lithuanian-American Council and Czechoslovak National Council sent a joint telegram to Walter condemning his “unfair and untrue characterization” of those opposing the act. “People of goodwill of all faiths are opposed to the discriminatory immigration law which maintains the undemocratic ‘national origins quota’ system,” Andrew J. Valuscheck, vice-president of the Czech organization, who served as spokesman for the six groups, wired the Congressman. “As a representative of a great state composed of Americans of many ethnic origins, you have rendered a disservice by your intemperate remarks.”