The Northwest Times

Columnist Scores Truman Board's View of New Act

WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 21 (JACL ADC)--Arguing that the report of the President's Commission on Immigration and Naturalization establishes "no fundamental principles" in the problem of "choosing future United States citizens", Dorothy Thompson, internationally famed columnist, pointedly questioned the recommendations of the commission.

In her syndicated article, Miss Thompson opened her criticisms by remarking that although the immigration bill passed by a two-thirds majority of Congress over the President's veto, "President Truman's Commission on Immigration and Naturalization, headed by Philip B. Perlman, is bent on unrolling the whole question again".

Miss Thompson noted the commission's recommendations that visas be issued annually on the basis of five categories: (1) right of asylum; (2) reunion of families; (3) needs in the United States; (4) special needs in the free world; and (5) general immigration. The report also recommends, said Miss Thompson, that there be no discrimination against colored peoples and Asiatics.

After quoting from the report, which condemned the Walter-McCarran Bill as not based on "sound fundamental principles", Miss Thompson observed: "But in choosing future United States citizens we can find no fundamental principles in the report of the Perlman Commission."

With respect to discrimination in immigration, Miss Thompson contended that the report's recommendations were contradictory.

"There is but one way to prevent all discrimination, and that is to open the gates to any one who wants to come or leave," asserted Miss Thompson.

But the President's Commission recommends that immigration be limited and selective, Miss Thompson pointed out.

Miss Thompson also sharply criticized the report's recommended categories, suggested as a basis for the issuance of visas.

"Of the five considerations to determine selection," said Miss Thompson, "three are based on alien rights that have never existed in any law, national or international."

"There is no universal right of asylum," stated Miss Thompson.

Calling attention to the millions of displaced persons in Europe, Middle East and Far East, Miss Thompson questioned the basis on which the selection for immigration will be made, if 100,000 of these displaced persons are to be selected annually, as the President's commission recommends.

On that point the answer of the commission, aside from recommending family reunions, is negative, stated Miss Thompson.

Claiming that neither the existing Immigration and Nationality Act nor the commission's substitute is "scientifically grounded", Miss Thompson advocated studying the results of the past century's large-scale immigration.

Among the questions Miss Thompson propounded as guide rules for such a study were:

"What stocks have produced the larger number of loyal and distinguished citizens, and of independent, self-supporting, law-abiding families?

"What stocks have produced the larger number of indigents, criminals, spies, racketeers?

"Do we, or do we not, wish to remain predominantly a Christian country?

"Do we, or do we not, wish to remain predominantly a white country?

"These questions are political dynamite, but they are necessary to any fundamental consideration of the immigration problem," concluded Miss Thompson.

During the last presidential campaign, Miss Thompson spoke out strongly in defense of the McCarran-Walter Immigration and Nationality Act, when President Truman made it a political issue.

After refuting the President's contentions that the Walter-McCarran Act was "anti-Jewish", Miss Thompson in her column headed "New Immigration Law Product of Best Minds" declared, "Under it (Walter-McCarran Act) no alien whatever may be rejected because of race or religion alone."

She hit sharply at the President and his avowed support of the Humphrey-Lehman Bill during election campaign.

"The Humphrey-Lehman Bill which its opponents support would never pass any American Congress, Democratic or Republican, and the President knows it," said Miss Thompson.