I thank you, gentlemen.
Mr. FELLOWS. Thank you, sir.

Without objection we will incorporate into the record a statement by Congressman Foote of Connecticut. Also, we will put into the record without objection statements by the Honorable Ray J. Madden, Congressman from Indiana, and the Honorable Arthur G. Klein, Congressman from New York, and the Honorable Adolph J. Sabath, Congressman from Illinois.

(The statement of Mr. Foote is as follows:)

To The Honorable FRANK FELLOWS,

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., June 25, 1947.

Chairman, Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I am very much interested in H. R. 2910 known as the Stratton bill, not only because its author, Congressman at Large Stratton of Illinois, is a member of the Banking and Currency Committee of which I am also a member, and opposite whom I have been sitting in committee for the past 5 months, but because legislation is very desirable at this time.

The bill would permit 400,000 out of approximately 850,000 displaced persons to enter this country over a period of the next 4 years, and during these years no more than 100,000 per year. It is believed they represent about 20 different nationalities. There are approximately 100,000 Protestants; 500,000 Catholics; and 250,000 Jews.

The immigration quotas remained unfilled during the war years and under the law if they are not used by the end of each year, they lapse. The 400,000 figure is considerably less than the number of persons that would have come here legally during the past 5 years under the present quota if it had not been for wartime conditions. Furthermore, undesirables cannot come here as they must meet the standards of our present immigration laws, and must have sponsors so as to guarantee that they will not become public charges.

The longer these persons stay in the camps, just so much faster will they lose their morale. A large portion of them can be salvaged today if they are given that hope of leading decent lives under a free system of government. In addition it is costing us large sums of money to maintain them there.

It is my opinion that this is one of the responsibilities we must assume in our role of world leadership.

These people who stood out against aggression, whether of nazism or communism, and survived the terrors of war, are people of character who have dem onstrated they can stand up against devastation, and it is believed they will lead useful lives in this country.

This legislation is justified from a humanitarian as well as an economic standpoint.

I have received more correspondence relative to this proposed legislation than any other subject and 95 percent of it is in favor of the passage of this bill. I am attaching to my statement a copy of a resolution adopted by the New Haven Emergency Committee for Displaced Persons which has been signed by some 200 representative citizens of that city. The honorary chairmen of the committee are former Governor Wilbur L. Cross, and the present mayor of New Haven, the Honorable William C. Calantano. The honorary vice chairmen are the Honorable John Q. Tilson, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, James P. Geelan, former Member of Congress from my district, and Edgar S. Furniss, provost of Yale University.

I also attach hereto statement from the New Haven Citizens Committee giving a list of the organizations who are in favor of the bill. You will note they represent 91 churches in greater New Haven of all denominations, labor councils, Young Men's and Young Women's Christian Associations, and practically all the leading civic and fraternal organizations of that city.

I am also enclosing a statement signed by the Reverend Oscar E. Maurer, pastor emeritus of the First Church of Christ, Center Church, New Haven. I also attach a petition signed by some 25 cit.zens of my district. In addition, I have received some 500 post cards and 300 personal letters from residents of my congressional district, all advocating immediate passage of this

bill. It is also interesting to note that a great many of these letters come from people who would receive no personal benefit directly or indirectly by the passage of this bill, but are prompted only by humanitarian motives.

In conclusion, I wish to make a part of my statement, an editorial of Sunday, June 22 of the Evening Bulletin of Philadelphia, which has been called to my attention and in my opinion, answers the arguments of those who are opposed to this legislation.

Very truly yours,

Hon. ELLSWORTH B. FOOTE,

ELLSWORTH B. FOOTE,
Member of Congress.

YALE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW,
New Haven, Conn., May 3, 1947.

House of Representatives, Washington, D. O.

MY DEAR CONGRESSMAN: The enclosed resolution comes to you from the newly formed New Haven Emergency Citizens' Committee in Behalf of the Stratton bill, H. R. 2910. This committee was organized at a meeting last night, attended by approximately 200 invited representative citizens. Our committee is affiliated with the National Citizens' Committee for Displaced Persons, headed by Dean Earl Harrison, former Commisioner of Immigration, and now dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. I presume you are familiar with the purposes and personnel of the national committee. The honorary chairmen of the New Haven committee are former Gov. Wilbur L. Cross, and the mayor of New Haven, the Honorable William C. Celentano. The honorary vice chairmen are the Honorable John Q. Tilson and James Geelan, former members of the Congress from this district, Edgar S. Furniss, provost of Yale University and Prof. C. E. A. Winslow, of Yale University.

The New Haven committee represents the leadership of the entire New Haven community, including spokesmen for every group and interest of our populationthe churches, the trade-unions, both political parties, business leaders, educators, and civic organizations of every type. Our purpose is to bring the issues raised by the Stratton bill before the people of this district. Our membership includes leading members of all the clubs, committees and working bodies of the town, and these organizations are now actively and independently considering the bill, and will communicate their opinions to you separately. I wish to assure you that the process of forming this committee indicated that our people feel deeply and spontaneously that the United States is under a strong obligation, both moral and political, to participate in the rescue of the displaced persons left homeless by the war and the immediate postwar crisis. People have thought long and carefully about this problem, and most of those approached were of the opinion that American leadership and American action in this field are overdue, and are urgently needed.

There are about 1,000,000 unfortunate men, women, and children in camps in Europe. They are homeless and stateless, helpless victims of war. Twenty percent are Jewish refugees who cannot face life in countries where their friends and relatives have been ruthlessly slaughtered. Most of the rest are Catholic Poles and Baltic peoples, who are refugees from political presecution in their former homelands. America is one of the few places where all these people could come as freemen and have an equal chance to develop in a free society. We feel as sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons of immigrants who were victims of similar oppression that we ought to give these distresed people of Europe a chance, too. We feel that as trustees of the American tradition we owe these people as well as ourselves a duty to carry out that tradition. And we are convinced that if we want to stand before the world as champions of democratic principle we cannot refuse to accept these surviving victims of totalitarian oppression.

Of course, the problem of displaced persons is an international one and should not be solved by the United States alone. But we must take the first step and accept a substantial number of these people. Then other countries will do likewise and the tragic waiting of these displaced persons will have ended.

The Stratton bill would do no more than take that necessary first step by permitting 400,000 out of the total of 1,000,000 displaced persons to enter the United States. This would be accomplished without any drastic change in our recent immigration policy, because the figure of 400,000 additional immigrants is far less than the total of the deficit of the unused quotas which we have built

up during the depression and war years. We therefore see no reason why every true American should not lend his wholehearted support to this bill.

We wish to communicate our views to you with our deep sense of the moral issues behind this legislation and to petition you respectfully in its behalf. Have you definitely made up your mind to support or to oppose this bill? Or, are you undecided? Would it be helpful to you to receive further evidence of community sentiment? We would very much appreciate a prompt reply to these questions. Sincerely yours,

EUGENE V. ROSTOw, Professor of Law. RESOLUTION

We have met together as a New Haven Emergency Committee for Displaced Persons, out of our keen sense of obligation to urge immediate Congressional action to permit a substantial number of the displaced persons of Europe to enter the United States as immigrants. We favor the Stratton bill, H. R. 2910, and we have pledged ourselves to carry the purpose and principle of this legislation to the citizens' organizations to which we belong-trade-unions, church and religious groups, civic bodies, fraternal, business and service clubs, and every other kind of organization in our community. We have formed this committee as an educational body, to bring before our fellow citizens the simple humanitarian need for this legislation. We believe this legislation is nonpartisan and nonpolitical in character. We believe its passage will help the United States economically, and will contribute to the democratic goals of our foreign policy. Above all, we believe it is incumbent upon us as human beings not to pass by on the other side, while men, women, and children, innocent victims of totalitarianism, suffer helplessly in refugee camps.

Therefore we most earnestly petition your support for the prompt passage of the Stratton bill.

LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS WHO AS OF MAY 17 HAVE COME OUT IN FAVOR OF THE STRATTON BILL

New Haven Council of Churches (representing 91 churches in greater New Haven) New Haven Association of Congregational Churches (represents 27 churches) Catholic Graduates' Club

New Haven Catholic Social Service

Jewish Synagogues

New Haven Central Labor Council (55 A. F. of L. unions with a membership of 25,000)

League of Women Voters

Teachers College

New Haven Branch of the American Association of University Women

New Haven Branch of the American Association of Social Workers

Junior Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee

Young Men's Christian Association

Young Women's Christian Association

Young Men's Hebrew Association

Young Women's Hebrew Association

Parent Teachers Association

American Veterans' Committee

American Veterans' Committee Wives

New Haven Colony of New England Women

New Haven Women's Club

Colonial Dames

New Haven Polish Clubs

Knights of Pythias

Quota Club

Probus Club

THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, CENTER CHURCH, IN NEW HAVEN, CONN.

Hon. ELLSWORTH B. FOOTE,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

DEAR MR. FOOTE: Please record the undersigned as favoring the passage of the Stratton bill permitting the entry of a stipulated number of displaced persons into the United States over a period of the next 4 years. All the signers are nativeborn citizens of voting age.

We undersigned Christian citizens of the United States, residents of Third Congressional District in the State of Connecticut respectfully request you to support H. R. 2910.

[From the Philadelphia Sunday Evening Bulletin, June 22, 1947]

WHO'S GOING TO BOARD UNCLE JAKE?

More than 2 years after the end of the war in Europe, some 850,000 human beings are living in concentration camps under Allied control. It is usual to blur the edges of this hard fact by referring to the victims of war as "displaced