Speech #810209307

At that time I favored a later date in 1947. but the amendment which I and other Senators sponsored was turned down. Both the committee amendment and the Kilgore substitute now change the date to January 1. 194P. but the Kilgore substitute continues the language of the present law whereas the committee amendment deletes the provision in the present law that a displaced person means one so defined in the IRO. and substitutes a new definition which includes not only the displaced persons for which the IRO has been given responsibility. but also some 8.000.000 expellees who are not the concern of any international body. This definition clearly dilutes the availability of the authorized number of visas to the displaced persons who come under the IRO definition. It changes almost completely the original intent of the Congress as regards the whole displacedpersons organization. To sum up briefly. the Kilgore substitute continues the present definition of a DP. merely changing the date. The committee amendment also changes the date but completely redefines a DP by including 8.000.000 expellees or refugees of German ethnic origin. This latter group is now the subject of a special provision in section 12 of the DP Act. Furthermore. several specific amendments are pending to enlarge the benefits of the law as they relate to this specific group. The proposal contained in the Kilgore substitute will enlarge and. in my judgment. improve the degree and manner of treatment of this group to the extent that it will make possible the immigration of about 54.000 people under conditions and arrangements as closely comparable to those available to DPs as it has been possible to devise. The proposed committee definition on the other hand will make special provisions for 8.000.000 of these people and in addition include them in the general scope of the act. In substance. Mr. President. the issue Is simply this: Shall we continue the present definition of a DP in order to make it possible to terminate the International Refugee Organization by March 31. 1951. as we have definitely stated to other nations In that Organization we intend to do. or shall we. by redefining a DP. include in that definition some 8.000.000 more people and thus make it impossible to end the IRO by March 31 next year? If the IRO ends and the DPs have not been settled. in the American zones they will become dependent upon us as taxpayers and we will not have accomplished what we are trying to do. Originally we set out to take care of these DPs as soon as we possibly could.