I know the great work that the Jewish Agricultural Society has been doing and will continue to do. Mr. FELLOWS. We thank you very much, sir. (The following was submitted for the record :) EXCERPTS FROM LETTERS RECEIVED FROM THE BISHOPS OF 17 DIOCESES OF THE UNITED STATES IN REFERENCE TO DISPLACED PERSONS 1. Bishop Peter W. Bartholome, coadjutor bishop of St. Cloud, Minn.: Several families could be located in the homes of our 12 Polish parishes in rural areas of the Diocese of St. Cloud. 2. Bishop J. E. Bennett, of Lafayette, Ind. : I shall do all I can here in Lafayette Diocese. The following groupings would be of help: Farmers: owner-operators of farms; farm laborers, using entire families for this purpose. Institutions: hospitals, seminaries, colleges and schools, rectories and churches. These would absorb many of these people. 3. Bishop Leo Binz, coadjutor bishop of Winona, Minn. : Be assured that Winona will not let you down on anything you would venture to undertake. 4. Bishop William J. Condon, of Great Falls, Mont.: I am confident there are any number of farm families where employment could be had until more permanent arrangements could be made. 5. Bishop C. P. Greco, Alexandria, La.: I am heartily in accord with this project. I am most willing to do everything I can here in the Diocese of Alexandria. 6. Bishop Joseph M. Gilmore, of Henena, Mont.: You have my best wishes for the success of your efforts to relocate some of the displaced people of the wartorn areas of Europe. You are assured of all possible cooperation. 7. Bishop William A. Griffin, of Trenton, N. J.: With the assurance of all the help I can give * * * 8. Bishop Louis B. Kucera, of Lincoln, Nebr.: The Diocese of Lincoln will be prepared to do its share in the effort that is being made to rehabilitate these displaced people. 9. Bishop Aloisius J. Muench, of Fargo, N. Dak.: The Diocese of Fargo is also prepared to do its share to give hospitality to many such immigrants to look for a new future in the rich opportunities of our land. 10. Archbishop John G. Murray, of St. Paul, Minn.: I volunteer to sponsor: 1,000 families from Bohemia with rural background, 500 families from France with rural background, 500 families from Italy with rural background, 300 families from Flemish area of Belgium with rural background, 1,000 families from Poland with industrial background, and 300 families from Slovakia with industrial background. 11. Bishop John K. Mussio, of Steubenville, Ohio: I hasten to answer your letter of December 23, to assure you of the wholehearted support and cooperation of the Diocese of Steubenville. 12. Bishop Edwin V. O'Hara, of Kansas City, Mo.: For our own diocese we shall gladly cooperate in this important work. 13. Archbishop Elmer J. Ritter, of St. Louis, Mo.: I heartily approve of the plan I shall study the matter further, along with the diocesan directors, and advise you further. 14. Bishop Vincent J. Ryan, of Bismarck, N. Dak.: I commend the action of the committee and will do everything I can to cooperate. 15. Archbishop Paul C. Schulte, of Indianapolis: If I can be of any help whatsoever, feel free to call on me. * * 16. Bishop Charles D. White, of Spokane: A few of our farm people would be willing to give employment to Polish or Lithuanian people It would doubtless be prudent for the project out here to start in a small way. 17. Rev. J. F. Frommherz, of Assumption, Ohio (Diocese of Toledo, Ohio): Every one of our rural parishes could use some families for agricultural labor. Here at Assumption we could use some 30 families, especially people from the eastern part of Germany. Mr. FELLOWS. I want to incorporate into the record at this point, without any objection, a telegram from the group of American citizens serving with occupational forces. Also a statement submitted by Congressman Worley, of Texas; Also a resolution of the Amarillo Council 1450, of the Knights of Columbus; Also a statement by Mr. O'Neal of the American Farm Bureau Federation; Also a statement filed by William C. Gausmann, Washington representative of the Socialist Party; Also, a communication from the national board of the Young Women's Christian Associations. (The documents referred to are as follows:) FRANKFURT, June 5, 1947 CHAIRMAN, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION, House of Representatives, United States Congress, Washington, D. C.: The signatories of this cable are American citizens serving with occupation forces and attached agencies in Germany. Stepping out of their official capacities they wish to express as private citizens their views on the H. R. 2910 bill on immigration of displaced persons. Those who sign here have had responsibilities and contact with United Nations displaced persons and refugess in Germany, in some instances since the days of liberation they have come to know intimately the thousands of individual tragedies wrought by dictatorship and aggression. They have come to know the qualities of character and culture, of innumerable skills and talents, and of the tenacious desire for individual usefulness which prevail among them; the deprivation of human rights, the disruption of families, the confiscation of personal property, and the cruelties of bestial terror and violence of which these people are the victims are afflictions which have not, and God willing shall not, encroach upon our American shores. America has shown the world how quickly and how powerfully it can and will rise in defense against such human degradation. Let America then rise in peace as in war as a champion of human rights by doing what is easily within its power to do by restoring to these worthy people the spiritual values of democratic freedom and self-determination by opening the gates of immigration to our country where through the inexhaustible American heart they may again find a useful place in society. Let the American people raise the beacon of welcome liberty and freedom so high that it will undeniably light the way to a new horizon in humanity. The Americans who sign here urge the Congress of the United States to pass the emergency temporary Displaced Persons Admission Act with all possible speed. Alex E. Squadrilli, Executive, Displaced Persons Branch, Civil Af- CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., May 26, 1947. Hon. EARL C. MICHENER, Chairman, Judiciary Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Enclosed is a letter and resolution referring to H. R. 2910 and which I have just received from the Reverend James E. Fitzgerald, chairman, committee in re Knights of Columbus, Council 1450, box 2009, Amarillo, Tex. I understand hearings are scheduled before the immigration subcommittee on June 4 and I am submitting the enclosure for the consideration of the committee. Sincerely yours, The Honorable EUGENE WORLEY, GENE WORLEY. AMARILLO, TEX., May 22, 1947. Representative, Eighteenth District of Texas, DEAR MR. WORLEY: It is with the utmost sincerity that we ask you to use every effort to favorably pass that bill before the House of Representatives dealing with displaced persons and numbered H. R. 2910. Herewith we are attaching a resolution passed unanimously by Amarillo Council 1450 of the Knights of Columbus, and we would ask that you give it your careful consideration. Your support of the above-named bill will be greatly appreciated, and indicative of your continued sentiments for maintaining the prerogatives of the "four freedoms." Trusting you will make every effort to successfully pass the displaced persons bill, I remain, Very truly yours, (Rev.) JAMES E. FITZGERALD, Chairman, Committee in re Knights of Columbus, Council 1450, Amarillo, Tex. RESOLUTIONS ON THE DISPLACED PERSONS BILL The Amarillo Council 1450 of the Knight of Columbus in meeting assembled, Monday, May 19, 1947, unanimously passed the following resolution: Be it Resolved, That we view with great concern and strongly oppose the determined attempt on the part of those enemies of democracy who would set aside the displaced persons bill, which seeks to aid those unfortunate peoples of Europe seeking to find refuge in lands where they might enjoy the declared prerogatives of the "four freedoms"; be it further Resolved, That the present trend of our policy seems to be a complete reversal of the statement of President Truman, December 22, 1945, at which time the President reaffirmed the traditional American stand and indicated our good faith by ordering several Federal agencies to take all necessary steps to expedite immigration. With the admission of a handful of refugees, even our contribution to a practical solution came to a halt; be it Resolved further, That we vehemently denounce an incredible development of attitude on the part of the United States recently evidenced. Two announcements, made simultaneously by our Army headquarters in Germany, and the Director of the UNRRA, indicate an abandonment of our previous position. Substantially, both pronouncements presented these victims of war with a single alternative to starvation, namely, return to their homelands, where they face certain death as "enemies of the state." Thus the United States embarks upon a refugee program which is in sharp contrast with its foreign policy as formulated by President Truman; be it further Resolved, That our elected representatives in the Congress of the United States should do all in their power to pass the displaced persons bill, shortly to come up for consideration. Failure to pass this bill will indicate the mockery of our claims to support the doctrine of the "four freedoms," and lend our support to the ideas of a foreign government diamentrically opposed to our own; be it therefore finally Resolved, That in order to insure the right of sanctuary, and in order to positively oppose any forced repatriation, we of the Amarillo Council 1450 of the Knights of Columbus, urgently ask the full support of our elected representatives in the United States Congress to vote favorably on the displaced persons bill, thus repudiating the forces of communism, and justly upholding the prerogatives stemming from the "four freedoms." Rev. JAMES E. FITZGERALD, Committee. AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION, Hon. FRANK FELLOWS, Chairman Subcommittee on Immigration, House of Representatives, MY DEAR CONGRESSMAN FELLOWS: I regret that I will be unable to appear before your committee in behalf of the objectives of H. R. 2910, to authorize the United States to undertake its fair share in resettlement of displaced persons. I wish to respectfully request that my statement which is attached hereto be brought to the attention of the committee and incorporated in the record of the hearings. Sincerely yours, EDWARD A. O'NEAL, President. STATEMENT OF EDWARD A. O'NEAL, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION, BEFORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, CONCERNING H. R. 2910, TO AUTHORIZE THE UNITED STATES TO UNDERTAKE ITS FAIR SHARE IN RESETTLEMENT OF DISPLACED PERSONS, JUNE 13, 1947 With confusion and unrest prevailing throughout the world, and much of humanity despairingly searching for some bedrock of principle upon which they may place their trust; the American Farm Bureau Federation believes that the United States, which emerged from the war as the leading Nation of the world, must assume the fateful responsibility of world leadership. With this ideal in the hearts of the American farmer, the voting delegates of the federation at their annual meeting, held last December in San Francisco, adopted as part of their program on international cooperation the following policy concerning displaced persons: "We sympathize with the pitiful plight of hundreds of thousands of persons displaced and made homeless during and after the war. We urge that careful consideration be given to the solution of this problem." Implementing this annual meeting resolution, the board of directors of the American Farm Bureau Federation last March directed me, as president of the federation, to cooperate in the rehabilitation in the United States of 400,000 of these war victims who dared to oppose either Communist or Fascist dictatorships and were thus forced to flee their homes. These are men and women who found religious and political freedom more precious than security. They are not criminals, nor the dregs of European society. Yet they are without hope and without home. They are worthy of our humanitarian interest. Our forefathers were immigrants. They left their homelands for one reason or another because of oppression or to seek greater opportunity-or whatever the reason might have been-they came to the United States. It is their children and their grandchildren, down through the years, who have managed our great corporations and labored on our farms and in our industry. They have built America, they have helped to make it geat, and they have served it well in times of great national need. The displaced persons, many of them women and children, cannot stay forever in camps, in which they are presently gathered. Many of them are afraid to return to their homes in Communist-dominated countries. They cannot be abandoned to starve. They cannot all be forced on other countries without our giving shelter to some. We cannot longer ignore our international responsibilities or our moral obligation concerning these people. Although the great contributions of immigration to the development of our country are widely recognized, fears regarding the economic effects of immigration are sometimes expressed. Especially during times of depression is hostility toward the newcomer expressed, yet statistics show that during the last depression more immigrants returned home than entered this country. Few individuals expressing resentment toward immigrants realize that since a restrictive immigration policy was adopted by our country some 20 years ago, the stream of immigration has been cut to the point where it represents only a minute increase to our population. The immigrants admitted to our country in recent years have been extremely few. Since the adoption of quotas, the yearly limit to immigration from quota countries is about 150,000 a year. Since 1930 these quotas have never been filled, chiefly because of the depression and World War II, which have marked the intervening period. Economic history shows that many of these newcomers played an important part in the continued progress of our country. Before these people arrive they will have been screened to make sure that undesirables will not reach our shores. The absorption of these foreign war victims in the United States is a humanitarian obligation of all segments of our economy-agriculture included. Many of these displaced individuals are from rural areas and we cannot help but feel that those who have the love of the land at heart will, over the years, make a substantial contribution to the American way of life. As in the past, others will make real contributions to the sciences, the professions, in management, and in labor. The gratitude of these people will be undying. America, too, should have much to gain in meeting its responsibility with respect to these people who have made great sacrifices in opposing dictatorship of World War II. On behalf of the American Farm Bureau Federation, I wish to endorse the objectives of H. R. 2910, and respectfully request that this statement be made part of the hearings on the bill when it is considered by the House Committee on the Judiciary. STATEMENT FILED BY WILLIAM C. GAUSMANN, WASHINGTON REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY, IN SUPPORT OF H. R. 2910 The Socialis Party heartily endorses this bill to permit the entry into the United States of 400,000 of the millions of Europeans who were uprooted in the war against fascism. We who are often among the critics of the foreign policies of the administration have applauded the protection that the United States Government has given to those displaced persons who for reasons well known to all have been unwilling to return to their lands of origin. Now the United States, and the world, must face up to the problem of what these people are to be allowed to make of their lives. Certainly they cannot sit life out in the barracks and huts of the camps. It is the manifest obligation of those nations which were not ravaged by war to provide permanent homes for them. Careful estimates which have been presented to you gentlemen demonstrated that when wealth, degree of industrialization, density of population all are considered 400,000 is no more than America's fair share of the burden. So persistent has been the propaganda against our doing our minimum humanitarian duty that I find myself using the word "burden." In fact these people will be assets, not burdens to us. They are people who have known and rejected totalitarianism. Most of them are skilled artisans or agricultural workers. The rest are men and women of high education whose understanding of the problems of our day has made them anathema to the proponents of dictatorship who rule their lands. Attempts have been made to convince our people that immigration would result in unemployment, that either those refugees would become public charges, or they would take jobs away from American workers. This is absurd. We suffer from a shortage of field labor today, and may of the immigrants to be admitted under |