Speech #710108585

This investigation in most cases is a farce. The consul is particularly directed by the general instruction circular. No. 926. which I have in my hands. to expedite applications for nonquota visas of ministers. Instead of that. a great deal of pettifogging and chicancery is resorted to before a minister is permitted to depart to this country. There are hundreds of instances continually coming to my attention about this situation. The official instructions prohibit a consul from accepting a nonquota application. unless he is convinced that the grounds therefor are valid. So far. so good. But in cases which are doubtful. the immigrant should be permitted to set forth on the face of the application his reasons. if any. for claiming nonquota status. (Sec. 104 of Regulations.) It is under this section that great abuses have crept in and without any rhyme or reason and without any justification for such action. consuls are continually tempted to reject bona fide applications made by ministers for admission to the United States. without proper legal reasons therefor. It seems to me that consuls ought to use some discretion and intelligence before they send for a man. particularly a minister of the gospel who is not coming here for any business purpose. He is not interfering with our immigration policy. and the least they can do. certainly. is not to send for the minister until they make the investigation and determine whether or not he is qualified under the immigration act. If they do that it will avoid hardships of the worst character. Today there are at least six or eight ministers waiting at Riga as a result of this foolish system that has been conducted by the consul. He brought the men from all parts of the world and keeps them there and it takes months to investigate. and then he says that he is not satisfied. It seems that the consul bosses the State Department and does not want to recognize the principles laid down by his superior officers. This entire situation which gives discretionary powers to consuls in matters affecting immigration deserves careful looking into. Perhaps it will be necessary after a while to designate special quota officers to each consulate. for the purpose of having such officers act on immigration applications. I am aware of the fact that the consuls had this work of issuing immigration visas thrust at them without any preparation and that most of them are not properly equipped to handle immigration visa applications. But when this country embarked on the policy of Issuing immigration visas it should have provided for the proper enforcement of this provision of law by proper officers who know their business and who can intelligently attend to it. Instances like the one mentioned by me are numerous. Not a day passes without some complaint. addressed not so much to the power of consuls who refuse to grant visas in proper cases. but to their general abusive power. and it seems that foreign clerks attached to the consulates are the worse culprits in that respect. Their treatment of applicants is harsh. unjust. no regard is paid to their legitimate wishes or desires. and any investigation which should be made in conformity of the law is carried out in a spirit of enmity to the applicant and officiousness carried to the highest degree. I am addressing my remarks to the committee. and will perhaps succeed in getting this body interested in the necessity of overhauling this entire consular machinery. so as to provide that it run smoothly. efficiently. taking care of deserving cases. and weeding out any undesirable applications In a spirit of fairness. worthy of this great country which these consuls represent abroad. and worthy of the name and fame of America.