Speech #810154763

Mr. President. there is no difficulty with the administration of the Displaced Persons Act of 1948. All they have to do is to forward a bunch of assurances to the International Refugee Organization. That organization sends .the persons on their way and we receive them at the ports of entry with great fanfare. There is not the slightest doubt in my mind that the law could be administered for twice the number now provided with just as little difficulty as now is experienced in bringing in 15.000 a month. I am equally certain that as many as a million refugees and displaced persons are now clamoring for the opportunity that is being accorded the 205.000 covered by the law. They are located right in the territory from which the displaced persons are coming. and if the law is extended to cover 400.000 there will be just as much pressure in the future to extend the number to a million. The whole proposition has long since ceased to be a charitable and humanitarian project to relieve the displaced persons camps. It is an immigration movement carrying a tremendous impact and there will be no end to it as long as there is hope that the Congress will provide $73.000.000 per year to feed jand clothe them in Europe and transportation to America. The fact that the International Refugee Organization has already concluded to end its operations at the expiration of its charter on June 30. 1950 is most significant. as the end of our displaced persons program comes on the same date. In a report of the International Refugee Organization published on the 1 lth of July 1949. there is a very interesting and significant conclusion. On page 9 of that report we find this statement: Balancing these facts and probabilities we believe of the total estimated camp population of 172.000 persons remaining on 30 June 1950. about 161.000 will be in the classes of limited opportunities for resettlement. In other words. under the present plan of the International Refugee Organization. taking into consideration both the Displaced Persons Act of the United States and contract arrangements with other nations for the reception of displaced persons. the International Refugee Organization estimates that at the end of June 1950.. there will be only 11.000 displaced persons left in the camps who are eligible in any respect for resettlement. The balance of 161.000 will be people too old or too afflicted with disease or difficulties to be resettled in any land. These people must necessarily be cared for where they are now located. If the measures now before the Senate for liberalizing the Displaced Persons Act are passed where will the displaced persons. to the extent of the 400.000 called for. be found? The answer is very clear. They will come from the hundreds of thousands of refugees who have already left for other countries and who will return. and they will also come from hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced persons who are now making their way in Europe without the helpof International Refugee Organization. Most of these refugees have registered with International Refugee Organizatiori for immigration purposes only. and they willbe on their way to America just as soon as the various organizations which are looking after their- interests get busy following the passage of an amending bill. I If there is to be abill of this kind. Mr. President. why call it a Displaced Persons Act. Let it be called an immigration bill. for it can be nothing more than an amendment to our immigration laws. a change in our immigration policy. and consequently a breaking down of the barriers long ago established to keep out of this country the riffraff of Europe and of the lessfortunate nations of the world. I am opposed to opening our doors to greater numbers of displaced persons. refugees. or immigrants of any category whatever. as long as there are 5.000.000 people unemployed in this country. as long as industry is torn by strikes which make our future uncertain. and as long as housing and unemployment conditions in this country are such that it would be impossible to establish them here without depriving Americans of jobs and homes.