Memorandum from Frank Nash to Richard Neustadt

MINITARY OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEI SE WASHINGTON 25, D. C. MAR 1 7 1952 AMEXICA STATES OF MEMORANDUM FOR MR. RICHARD NEUSTADT, SPECIAL ASSISTANT THE WHITE HOUSE SUBJECT: Proposed Message on Immigration and Escapees 1. With reference to your draft of a proposed message to Congress for a special immigration program and aids to Iron Curtain refugees, I would recommend the following: a. That the last paragraph on page 10 be amended to read as follows: "But the help we can give under existing legislation is not adequate to meet the needs. Under the terms of Public Law 597, the so-called Lodge Act of 1950, people of this type are permitted to enlist in the United States armed forces overseas. Only a handful, however, have-been-through-the-neeessary seeurity-sereening-and - have been allowed to enlist due to the necessary physical and mental requirements for enlistment. Further, security screening require- ments are necessarily high due to the fact that each person under the provisions of this act is a potential U. S. citizen. "Section 101(a)(1) of the-Mutual-Security Aet Public Law 165, 82nd Congress authorizes establish- ing national the formation of escapees from behind the iron curtain into military units fer-sueh-persens-in - the-Eurepean-supporting the NATO defense forces. But the formation of such units presents great administra- tive and political difficulties, and even if it-ulti- mately-proves-feasible they are ultimately formed, it they will utilize only a relatively small number of these people. In any case, military service is an inadequate answer to the problem." b. That the last sentence on page 14 be amended to read as follows: "Our defense production program can easily absorb a limited number of additiona7-immigrants certain skilled and trained personnel in the years immediately ahead. If NARA