End to National Origins Immigration Quotas:
Triumph At Last for Humanitarian Concept
By MILTON FRIEDMAN
(Copyright, 1965, JTA, Inc.)
WASHINGTON — Pending Con-
gressional action on the new
immigration bill, eliminating the
discriminatory national origins
quota system, will bring reality to
a dream of the late President John
F. Kennedy.
This correspondent first became
acquainted with Kennedy in the
1950s, when the latter served as
a Senator from Massachusetts.
Kennedy invited your correspond-
ent to lunch in the Senate dining
room. The purpose of the invita-
tion, it emerged, was to muster
public understanding of the need
for immigration reform. -
Kennedy stressed his abhorrence
of the national origins quota sys-
tem. He recalled the tragedy of
Jewish refugees from Hitler's Ges-
tapo who were denied admission
to the United States because they
were born in the "wrong" coun-
tries, and quotas were oversub-
scribed. He noted that dispropor-
tionately large quotas were
allocated to nations in Western
and Northern Europe, while immi-
grants from Eastern Europe • were
deemed less desirable under our
laws.
At that time, Kennedy was
sponsoring a bill t h a t would
have achieved the same results
as the measure just approved by
the House Judiciary Committee.
He admired the leading role
taken in the Senate by the late
Sen. Herbert H. Lehman, of New
York, in the struggle for the
Americanization of immigration
laws.
When Sen. Lehman died, Ken-
nedy, then President, attended the
funeral in New York. He com-
mented on the Lehman liberalism
generally, but specifically noted
the Senator's heart-breaking fight
for immigration reform.
Another recollection of this cor-
respondent is that Kennedy per-
sonally presented him with a copy
of a book, "A Nation of Immi-
grants," a moving indictment of
immigration bias. Kennedy wrote
the book, linked with his reform
legislation, when he served in the
Senate.
During the 1960 election cam-
paign, Kennedy repeatedly stressed
the priority he attached to liberali-
zation of the entry laws and quota
system. When elected, he in-
structed Myer Feldman to pursue
this objective. Special messages
were sent to Congress. Calls were
sounded in the State of the Union
messages.
President John-son took over
where Kennedy left off. He asked
Feldman, who stayed on for a time
as personal aide on such matters,
to renew contacts with Congress.
President Johnson saw immigra-
tion reform as a part of his "Great
Society" philosophy. He felt the
system of bias was a living contra-
diction of domestic civil rights
objectives.
But the immigration bill sent
to Congress by the White House
became bottled up in the House
Immigration Subcommittee. For
many years, the subcommittee
had been headed by Rep. Francis
Walter, Pennsylvania Democrat,
who co-authored the discrimina-
tory McCarran-Walter Immigra-
tion Act. Rep. Michael Feighan,
Ohio Democrat, took over the
chairmanship of the subcommit-
tee on Rep. Walter's death.
Chairman Feighan, however, de-
layed action on the Administration
measure because of personal dif-
ferences, to some extent remote
from immigration issue s, with
Chairman Emanuel Celler of the
House Judiciary Committee.
After much b i t ter internal
wrangling, agreement was reached,
and a very acceptable bill was-re-
ported out by an overwhelming
vote of 26 to 4.
Bipartisan support appeared
from $
39
Skirts to Match from ..19.99
Mink Ribbon Sweater 69.99
New Arrival From
"Mr. Blackwell"
SWIMS
Lot-G Northland
GEORGE
OHRENSTEIN
Certified Master Watchmaker
and Jeweler
18963 Livernois Ave.
UN 1-8184
OPEN THURS. TO 9 P.M.
Strictly
Kosher
Meats and
Poultry
KAPLAN BROS.
Specializing ins
• Fresh, Cut-up Chicken Parts
• Ready Made Hamburger Patties
• Boneless Chicken
81 Oven Ready Turkeys
• Cartwheels
• Cube Steaks
• Kosher TV Dinners
•
Seasoned Meat Balls
•
•
•
•
Mock Chicken
Veal for Scalopini
Beef for Scalopini
Tenderloin Chip Steak
• Beef Ribs
• Seasoned Meat Loaf
18229 WYOMING
UN 1-4770
WE DELIVER
invotimir4t
THESE ARE PLUSES.To American Savings customers they mean more than just
dollars adding up. They mean Friendliness 4. Convenience 4. Travelers
Cheques 41. Payment of Utility Bills 4• Saving-By-Mail 4. Money Orders
U.S, Savings Bonds + A Fat, Happy 4% Compounded Quarterly
(we were among the first with that). And your money deposited by the
For Bar Mitzvahs, Weddings,
Banquets, Cocktail Parties,
Anniversaries ... Elegant
HONG KONG
JEWEL TOPS
adequate to indicate e a r l y and
favorable final action by the full
House and the Senate. The bill
will be a triumph for American
concepts of human equality and
for the John:son administration.
Friday, August 13, 1965-3
PIE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
10th of any month earns from the 1st, NOW DOESN'T THAT ADD UP?
$NVING6,
AMERICAN c'z't
e
5
.
SAVINGS
°'
SOCIA,ra°
MICHIGAN'S LARGEST STATE-CHARTERED SAVINGS AND LOAN INSTITUTION
CONSULT YOUR YELLOW
41 ,.......11•11.161.101..01,11•11..ormaftlarl.
PAGES FOR THE OFFICE NEAREST YOU — OR ASK A NEIGHBOR
• ■■•■ ••=111t a.worn.•••• ■••■■..