Until such legislation comes before us. however. let us not compound confusion. Let us not commit the error of aborting our efforts in the attempt to accomplish too much with too little. The committee bill retains the preferences of the present law requiring that 40 percent of the visas issued go to persons from de facto areas. the socalled Balts. and 30 percent to farmers. As I have stated. these preferences are wholly discriminating. It is well known that neither Jews nor Catholics come in any substantial number from the Baltic areas. And as a result of Nazi ghetto practices only a small number of Jews can qualify as farmers. It should be borne In mind also that the Baltic preference could easily result in the scuttling of the whole program. If this arbitrary preference Is retained. 40 percent. or 4 out of every 10 visas issued. must be issued to persons in this group. If no Balts were remaining. or if no assurances were available for those who do remain. the program apparently would simply bog down if the letter of the law were to be observed. These preferences. when taken together with the definition of the displaced person contained in the committee bill. are wholly inequitable and unrealistic. As I have indicated. it Is estimated that there will be 141.000 visas remaining for all displaced persons. including expellees. Inasmuch as the bill is silent with respect to the number of visas to be assigned to each group. it can be assumed. for illustration only. that 70.500 would be allotted to the IRO displaced persons. and an equal number to the expellees. In view of the fact that none of the expellees are in the Baltic areas. it would appear that the 40percent Balt preference would come out of the 70.500 visas for IRO displaced persons and not out of the 70.500 visas which would be available for expellees. Actually. therefore. the 40percent preference. instead of being based on 141.000. would be applicable only to the displacedpersons allotment of 70.500. thereby leaving only 42.300 for the displaced persons themselves. With respect to the preference for farmers. although the present law requires an exclusive allocation of 30 percent. actually only 20 percent of the displaced persons are farmers.
Identified stereotypes
Generalization that neither Jews nor Catholics come in any substantial number from the Baltic areas.