Speech #810189847

President. even the employees of the Displaced Persons Commission *under the direction of the former UNRRA employee. Mr. Squadrilli. have relinquished part of the untenable sovereignty to the International Refugee Organization. The present displacedpersons law defines a displaced person by incorporating by reference the definition contained in the constitution of the International Refugee Organization. The definition which is contained in the constitution of the International Refugee Organization. In. addition to defining a displaced persons or refugee. sets forth who shall be the concern and who shall not be the concern of. the International Refugee Organization. It was clearly the congressional intent that the definition contained in the constitution of the International Refugee Organization would be a formula to be applied in administering the law by the Immigration and Naturalization Service and by the consular officers. However. under the administrative practice which has been followed in administering the law. the certifications which are made by the International Refugee Organization are generally accepted as binding. not only upon the Displaced Persons Commission. but upon our immigration officers and consular officers as well. These certifications by the International Refugee Organization are not only with reference to whether or not the applicant is a displaced person. but also are with reference to other elements of the applicants eligibility under our law. such as the date of his arrival in the occupied areas and whether or not he was in the areas prescribed by the law. Mr. Donald W. Main. who Is a senior officer of the Displaced Persons Commission in charge of the office at Munich. Germany. testified in public session before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on February 14. 1950. with reference to International Refugee Organization certifications as followsand this is public testimony which has been transcribed and is available to every Member of the Senate: