Speech #830009847

However. when our officers go to this home they announce themselves and the manager cooperates in having the men presented for questioning. Furthermore. on several occasions the managers of the home have informed our officers regarding seamen stopping at the home who are violating their status as seamen. The questioning of seamen at the Norwegian Home and other places in Baltimore by officers of this Ssrvice when the occasion demands it. is nothing new. it has been the practice for many years and the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 known as the McCarranWalter Act had nothing to do with it. (2) "Last Sunday police stopped and crossexamined the worshipers as they walked out of the Norwegian Seamens Lutheran Church in Baltimore." The district director of this Service at Baltimore stated emphatically that none of our men have ever stood outside the Norwegian Church questioning people coming out. This Norwegian Church located on the waterfront at Baltimore runs a seamens home in a separate building about onehalf block from the church. Officers of this Service have called at this seamens home to question seamen when necessary to the same extent as they do at the regular Norwegian Seamens Home. The district director at Baltimore later learned that the local city police had questioned some men outside the Norwegian Church the previous Sunday. but whatever their purpose was. it had nothing to do with this Service or the McCarranWalter Act. even though the Sevareid broadcast would lead one to believe it had some connection. The following figures concerning the inspection of seamen arriving at Baltimore aboard Norwegian flagships since December 24. 1952. the effective date of the new Immigration and Nationality Act indicate the percentage of seamen denied shore leave is about the same as it was prior to that date. Twentyseven Norwegianflag ships arrived at Baltimore since December 24. 1952. 936 seamen aboard. 885 granted shore leave: 51 denied shore leave. Most of the 51 denied shore leave were cases of individuals who were not in possession of valid passports. the balance were seamen who were previously deported from the United States. or those found after inspection not to be bona fide seamen. Many of those denied shore leave were able to have their passports validated by the Norwegian Consul and were thereupon granted shore leave. (3) "If a seaman gets sick and overstays the 29 days. he can be put into Ellis Island to await deportation. Among others. there are about a dozen Norwegian sailors imprisoned on the island now because they were unable to sign on a ship within the time limit." Under the law an alien crewman if upon examination by an immigration officer is found to be a nonimmigrant and otherwise admissible and has agreed to accept such permit. may be granted a conditional permit to land temporarily for a period of time. not to exceed (1) the period of time (not exceeding 29 days) during which the vessel on which he arrived remains in port. If the immigration officer is satisfied that the crewman intends to depart on the vessel on which he arrived. or (2) 29 days if the immigration officer is satisfied that the crewman intends to depart. within the period for which he is permitted to land. on a vessel other than the one on which he arrived. If a seaman violates his status by remaining in the United States it is true he may be apprehended and placed in dentention quarters at Ellis Island. pending arrangements for his deportation or voluntary departure on a vessel leaving the United States. However. if his failure to leave the United States within the 29 days is due to illness or for other reasons over which he has no control. immigration officers are authorized to allow him an additional and reasonable time to regain his health and to leave the United States. The number of Norwegian seamen detained at Ellis Island varies from day to day. but the total number at any time is relatively small. This was the case before the McCarranWalter Act as well as after it. (4) "A few weeks ago. 11 crewmen asked to sign off the motorship Pleasantville when it reached Boston. They had been at sea 2 years and were ready to fly home to Norway. The Scandinavian shipping authority sent 11 men to Boston to replace them. These 11 boarded the ship. then immigration officials refused to allow 9 of the original 11 to get off. No reasons were given. The ship is now heading for the Far East. its captain paying for the extra crew and also violating security rules on lifeboat space.