Speech #830100049

It is in addition to equally important technical data on Russias air fleet which becomes available through defection of such former Red military personnel as the two Polish flyers who escaped on recent occasions with jet fighters and have since traveled to the United States. Mr. President. the dispatch goes on to claim that in addition to the regular and irregular channels by which our Government receives such information there is available. and I refer again to the article. "material provided by interviews with refugees. the volume of which has increased steadily in recent months coincidental with the unrest in the Communist world." Mr. President. judging from these reports. the refugees who risked death in their flight to freedom. are perfectly willing and eager to cooperate with our American authorities in the fight against the international crime of world communism. Mr. President. in Europe last summer. I had an opportunity to observe very closely the situation as it exists in Italy. where the population pressure is particularly acute. The present critical situation arises rather from a number of special factors: discouragement of normal emigration by Mussolini. complete cessation of migration during World War II. and an influx of half a million colonials. largely Italian nationals repatriated from former colonies and areas ceded to Yugoslavia after the war. It is these negative factors which have created a backlog which must be reduced to manageable proportions. The Italian Government Is making strenuous efforts to meet the problem both by increasing job opportunities and increasing emigration. However. approximately 300.000 additional persons in the working ages. 15 to 65. must either be.absorbed internally or emigrate each year. Net emigration from Italy has averaged approximately 150.000 annually in recent years. and the expansion of the internal economy has substantially absorbed the remainder of those reaching working age. However. it has thus far been impossible to reduce effectively the backlog of unemployed. I know that the assistance given the Italians under the Watkins bill is not going to solve Italys intricate economic and political problems.