Letter from Julius Edelstein to Richard Neustadt

JAMES E. MURRAY, MONT., CHAIRMAN Bas LISTER HILL, ALA. ROBERT A. TAFT, OHIO MATTHEW M. NEELY, W. VA. GEORGE D. AIKEN, VT. PAUL H. DOUGLAS, ILL. H. ALEXANDER SMITH, N. J. HUBERT H. HUMPHREY, MINN. WAYNE MORSE, OREG. HERBERT H. LEHMAN, N. Y. IRVING M. IVES, N. Y. ARD JOHN o. PASTORE, R. 1. RICHARD M. NIXON, CALIF. States Senate WILLIAM H. COBURN, CHIEF CLERK COMMITTEE ON ADCHU" so LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE March 20, 1952 Mr. Richard E. Neustadt Special Assistant in the White House Office Room 230, Executive Office Bldg. Washington, D. C. Dear Dick: My comments and suggestions on the draft of the message will fall into two classifications: (1) Relationship between this message and other immigration legislation; (2) Presentation of the main subject matter of the message itself. Under (1) I make the following suggestions: On page 2, paragraph 1, eliminate the words "on a limited and temporary basis. II These words are unnecessary and definitely exclude the possibility of using unused quotas for this purpose. On page 14, line 7, eliminate "temporary. " On page 15, make first new paragraph read as follows: "While the admission of these particular groups, by nationality, should constitute a temporary program of limited duration, it could well be fitted into desirable permanent changes in our present immigration quota system if the Congress finds itself able to make such changes at this session. On page 15, change lines 11 and 12 to read: "Congress will wish to keep these questions in mind when it takes up the question of our overall immigration laws." On page 15, change 3rd new paragraph to read: "Action on the emergency problem, however, is needed this year. The emergency program should not be deferred if Congress cannot agree at this session on desirable improvements in our whole system of immigration. In no event should this vital emergency program be tied to or associated with new restrictive changes in our permanent immigration laws- which would, in themselves, hamper or nullify the operation of the emergency program." (2) Throughout the message there is undue and unnecessary prior emphasis on the German portion of the emergency program. This will affront many of our friends without securing any additional support. The entire presentation seems to be pitched on the German ethnics Trather than on the