Letter from Watson B. Miller to President Harry S. Truman

csm SUBVERSIVE Activities CONTROL BOARD WASHINGTON 25, D.C. June 17, 1952 The President The White House Washington, D. C. Dear Mr. President: Even having in mind my present important official duties as a member of the Subversive Activities Control Board to which you were good enough to appoint me, I respectfully ask that you permit me to herewith proffer a few observations as to the Immigration and Nationality measure now before you. I take the liberty of making this request because as Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization I participated in the surveys and research which were undertaken pursuant to S. Res. 137 of the 80th Congress. These studies, together with investigations and extensive hearings, led through many steps to the drafting of the bills which finally emerged as the present measure. Thus I do hope, Mr. President, that you will not deem as inappropriate this address to you. In this atmosphere I submit, with your kind acquiescence, some of my thoughts which are voluntary on my part. I do think of this approach as a part of my duty to you. As you know, the Immigration and Naturalization Service under the Department of Justice functions under a body of laws extending so far back as the last decade of the 18th century. Some of these statutes have become archaic in the light of experience and current world thinking. By additions and subtractions through many amendments we have now a somewhat complex statutory mosaic. It would seem desirable to embody our modern conceptions in a single comprehensive document such as H.R. 5678. As I study the provisions of Section 212 (a) (28) which require the exclusion of aliens considered to be politically undesirable here, I conclude that while the bars are pinpointed I find a number of exceptions as to such classes of alien applicants, including parole, temporary admission under a waiver, youthful or non-ideological membership, involuntary membership, bona fide defection and the like. In cases open to question joint action by the Secretary of State and the Attorney General is required. I think that your canvass of this section will indicate that much thought has been given to our domestic control and protection coupled with amity, reciprocity and consideration for other HARYS NARA