Speech #870010835

ON REFUGEES The callous comment of Representative FRANCIS E. WALTERmost hostile opponent of liberal refugee and immigration legislation since the late Senator Pat McCarranwas to be expected. ridiculing a proposal to admit to the United States in the next 2 years up to 40.000 nonquota refugeeescapees from Communist and other forms of persecution. "They couldnt get 40.000 refugees if they advertised in every newspaper in Europe." he said. Under the United Nations High Commissioners mandate alone there are at least 75.000 refugees in Europe and another 7.500 Europeans in Asianot to mention the total of nearly a million and n half scattered throughout the globe who come within the restricted limitations of his responsibility. In addition. there are hundreds of thousands more in north Africa. in the Far East. and in many other parts of the world who are. In the common understanding of the term. Tefugees. The microscopic number of 20.000 a year provided for in the bill just introduced by Senator KEATING of New York and five other Senators. including Senators JAVITs and CASE. is hardly an exaggerated figure to meet the current emergency and any that may unexpectedly arise in the futurewhether in Cuba. the Middle East or other areas. In a companion bill introduced by Senator JAVITs and the same group of Senators. n revision and modernization of the present antiquated and inadequate immigration law is proposed. Principal features of the bill include readjustment of the nationalquota system to reflect the 1960 Instead of the 1920 census. and to permit pooling of unused quotastwo reforms long sought by many members of both parties. including former President Eisenhower. Vice President Nixon and President Kennedy. Last year Congress did enact a refugeerelief bill that one expert. Edward Corsi. has correctly described as "meager in scope * * * and niggardly in numbers." Last yearWorld Refugee Yearthe United States did not add to its luster by what it did for the world refugee problem. or rather by what it didnt do. This year we can and ought to do better. and a good beginning would be for the President to push hard for the JavitsKeating bills or a reasonable facsimile thereof. On February 11. 1961. the New York Times printed my letter. which reads as follows: