Speech #800188431

The bill very carefully differentiates between displaced persons and eligible displaced persons. It seems to me it Is a very fundamental distinction. The bill itself provides that not less than 50 percent of the visas issued pursuant to the act shall be available exclusively to eligible displaced persons and eligible displaced orphans. The significance of that. as I see it. is this: The term "displaced persons" as it is defined at the bottom of page 1 and top of page 2 of the bill "means any displaced person or refugee as defined in annex I of the constitution of the International Refugee Organization. and who is the concern of the International Refugee Organization." As I understand. therefore. the term "displaced persons" is not limited at all to persons who entered Germany. Austria. or Italy prior to a given date. as is the fact in the case of "eligible displaced persons." If I may proceed for a moment. the term "displaced persons." as will appear at page 8 of the committee report. .would include not only persons entering up until January 1. 1948. but even up until the present time. so far as that term itself is used. At the bottom of page 8 of the report It is stated thatGenerally speaking. eligibility under the constitution extends to all persons in the world who are or who may hereafter be out of their country of nationality or former residence and who are unwilling to return because of fear of persecution. and to persons who fled from Germany or Austria because of Nazi persecution and have returned but have not been resettled. I think the importance of the inquiry which I make is this: The amendment provides that visas shall be made available "to each element or group among the displaced persons." That would include persons entering certainly up until the 31st of January 1947 because the only limitation in the amendment is that they were segregated or designated by the International Refugee Organization as of January 1. 1948. whereas the bill itself. with its limitation on page 4. which would be stricken out by. the proposed amendment. limits the proposal to those who are defined in the bill as "eligible displaced persons." which class. so far as those who entered Germany.Austria. and Italy are concerned. includes only those persons who. on orafter September 1939. and on or before December 22. 1945. entered one of those countries. In other words. it seems to meand I should be glad to have the comment of the Senator from Massachusttsthat the amendment very materially alters the entire theory of the definition of persons whoare eligible to come into this country as displaced persons. The amendment would admit anyone who had come in up until the 1st day of January 1948.